C. J. Daley

Huge thanks to Scholastic and Scholastic Focus for the physical ARC! So cool to have one of these.

This is really cool. It’s set up as if you are the investigator, and with the help of your Black Swan Scientific Investigations Handbook you are prepared to research the existence of a prehistoric beast! Comb through the evidence, read through the witness accounts, and try hard not to form an opinion! I can see this being such a huge hit with kids and if their imagination is good, there’ll be no end to the fun they can have.

For me, the actual scientific research included was my favorite. From the first sighting all the way to the latest in 2024, the author has delivered an opinion free dissection of what’s been seen and recorded. Whether you’re a believer, or want to stick with the science, the information is so interesting that I think both sides can read for enjoyment.

Is it a prehistoric plesiosaur, that not only survived the last 66 million years undetected, but also survived the fact that the loch was frozen 18,000 years ago? Or is it a new species that has evolved since the loch thawed and perhaps is unrelated? Perhaps a giant eel? Perhaps even something invertebrate that wouldn’t leave huge bones behind to be found?

And while there is no concrete evidence to push forward as proof, there’s certainly nothing definitively proving it’s not real or possible… and if it’s not, why do people keep spotting it?

This is the slasher sequel we all knew we needed and wanted. The Christmas slay to ring in the holiday season. And the Christmas poem to recap book one was truly perfect.

Taking place moments after the first ended, this sequel is a high octane trip through Christmas lights and bloody pews. The survivors of book one are at the diner, recuperating a little before finally heading back to…well, whatever’s left. Meanwhile, Candy Cain goes a little Michael Myers on some firefighters and steals their truck. She’s headed to the church to take care of some left over business.

McAuley offers exactly what you’d want from a slasher sequel and more. It needs to be said (again) that the author is really bringing some new and exciting things to the genre of slasher. With new redemption arcs, character development, and unique kills. And let me tell you, these are some truly interesting, and awfully brutal kills. Each one more unhinged than the last. If this was on the big screen you’d look away.

As I said with my review of the first, I really enjoy the use of Christianity here. It’s not only used to show the religious side of the Christmas season, but to me it grounds the story. From something that could be viewed as silly, the religious zealotry adds a creepy culty layer to the story that makes it all feel more real to me. The abuse of power and faith, the abuse of people, and especially the abuse of children—this town is anything but the product of god, and just maybe Candy Cain is their savior.

And again of course there is the continuation of great LGBTQ and Disability representation here. No one is weak, no one’s a stereotype. They’re human and heroes alike.

While this wrapped things up great, we know there’s always a revival to these slashers. I’m not saying we need it (but it is maybe a want!) but maybe Killer VHS series # 12? Candy Cain is Back? Candy Cain Kills Again, Again? You never know.

Grabbed this for a seasonal read on audible’s cyber Monday sale and dove right in.

This is an enjoyable anthology that features different holiday creatures, traditions, and locales. From the Christian Christmas, to folkloric creatures and the winter solstice. I particularly enjoyed that each story was finished with a small snippet of the author describing where they came up with the story idea. Which read like little behind the scenes inclusions.

But with a lot of these large anthologies, I have to wonder if creating them just for a large chunk of them to go to invited authors is the best move. Especially when many of these were just okay. My wonder is if the authors are writing just to be included off the invite, rather than a desire to write the story…which I could be entirely wrong, and enjoyment is subjective. That’s also not to say that I disliked any of them outright, and I appreciated how well rounded it was with its diversity of traditions, but maybe I was just looking for more of a Christmas-centric horror collection, which would be on me!

Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, and Gemma Files are a few standouts, with stories that I particularly enjoyed, as well as their reasonings for writing.

Grabbed this on Audible’s cyber Monday deal, and finished it in the same day. As a Christmas tradition based nonfiction (although mythology/folklore and fantasy really blend?), it was a perfect read for me.

The author takes the reader through the history of Christmas, not just its darker creatures, but even the creation of Santa Claus and St. Nick. The historical beats reminded me of Jeff Guinn’s The Autobiography of Santa Claus, at least in the instances where the author takes from what’s known. And the traditions from other places I was not familiar with reminded me of Linda Raedisch’s The Old Magic of Christmas.

A great blend of information I knew, and that that I didn’t, this was a quick and enjoyable read for the holiday season. The author draws on the history of the holiday to explain when and how or even why certain Christmas traditions came and went away. How Krampus was frowned upon, seemingly went away, and then was modernized in the 2015 film. The author even likens the appearance of the Grinch to that of Krampus, and how even when traditions seem forgotten they still hold on.

I went with the audible original of this, narrated by Paapa Essiedu. It was fantastically done, with music and all the ghostly thuds. The only hiccup was dialogue was lowered as if those speaking to Arthur were further away—a cool idea, but I found these lines to be hard to hear both at work with an AirPod in and in the car. The narration as fantastic though.

I found myself truly blown away that this novel is from the 80s. The author’s voice, the way it’s written, the way the content is presented, just all speaks to it being a classic of much older origin. With that sort of Victorian-gothic creeping atmosphere you’d expect from the ghost stories that started it all. Even following in the footsteps of the likes of The Turn of the Screw and the later The Haunting of Hill House with its focus on the feel of the haunting much more than the actions of any ghost. And while this novel does turn into actual consequence, I felt that it still toed the line.

Arthur is a junior solicitor, so when the chance to prove himself is presented, he jumps at the opportunity. Penning a brief explanation to his fiancée, certain she will understand, he leaves for the job. He has been tasked with attending the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, the sole occupant and owner of Eel Marsh House. After representing his firm at the funeral, he must go to the house and search it for any document of worth before her final business is settled. However, the house is at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mist, and becomes unreachable during the tide. As if that wasn’t enough to raise his hackles, there’s also something more at work here. Her secrets, some of which are even sinister, are boiling just below the surface.

I really enjoyed how the author made the reader feel each and every thudding heart beat from Arthur. That each eerie instance is drawn out for all it’s worth. It excels as an atmospheric ghost horror, and that’s a genre I don’t always think succeeds. And I still can’t believe the facsimile quality of their much older sounding writing, it’s honestly a triumph.

While you’ll most likely find yourself uneasy, or feeling suspense, I doubt anyone will actually feel genuine fear or terror. While the ending is truly horrific and bleak, the story is just much more understated than that. Definitely for fans of those ghostly tales of old.

This is book 14 in The Mystery House series, of which I have read one before (book 8) and I don’t recall seeing anything on NetGalley signifying the fact that it was part of a series, but that may be on the site.

While I may just be spoiled by reading two of the A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series at the right time and them giving me the exact feel I was going for—which is mostly why I requested this one, this lacked any holiday cheer, and other than the last five minutes featuring Christmas, it could have been really any month as there’s snow…but they’re in Colorado. So the name is quite the mislead.

And while I will say that I also have written a ghost hunting story myself and did some research, as well as countless hours watching the shows, that doesn’t make me any kind of expert. However, the characters here use a Ouija board and dowsing rods to communicate with the dead more than once, and aren’t those two of what’s considered to be the least reliable or “scientific” ghost hunting items? You’d think by book fourteen they’d be more professional? Oh and not that I am a believer, but with seemingly zero qualifications they attempt an exorcism?

I don’t know if the content in this book is historically accurate, but this is read much more like of a history lesson than a paranormal mystery. With its older cast and jokes, there’s probably a market for this with older readers or even those consistent with the cozy genres. Just not for me.

Had this on my radar for a while and managed to grab one on a nice sale. The hardcover size is typically for art books, and I thought the quality was good.

Can I start by just saying 5*, 10 out of 10, 100% just based off the Tolkien art alone? To be such a visionary, such a creative mind, and to also be an artist is just so crazy to me. Now a lot of these are pencil sketches, and some are even a stretch to call them that, but there are also full color drawings and designs that were eventually used in the books. Even saying that, it’s crazy just to see how his mind was at work creating and then editing these descriptions with actual drawing.

The book itself is organized pretty well. The only mix up is there are several parts where the writing goes on long past mentioning the referenced art, sometimes multiple references. So you’re either flipping back and forth over and over or not sure what they’re talking about. With that being said, I’ve had the same problem with some other art books, and I can’t really think of a fix, unless you really segment the writing to input the art.

A particular favorite of mine was seeing all the iterations of the cover artworks Tolkien worked on and submitted. It feels like a different world where the author has so much control in their own process. They must have really trusted him, and clearly it worked! It’s also nice to see that someone regarded as great by so many people also didn’t always know the answer. He worked and worked and sometimes it seems he even fumbled his way there, and Middle-earth fans are luckier for it.

This was offered on Audible for free and happened to be the follow up to my last read, so I gave it a go. It’s easy to follow, seasonal and semi-cozy, and Allyson Ryan is such an easy narrator to follow.

Unfortunately, it’s a year later for Holly, and things haven’t been great between her and the Bostonian sheriff. He’s distant, and she doesn’t know why. With Christmas looming, she’s gearing up for another busy week of reindeer games at the family tree farm in Mistletoe, Maine. The construction of an inn on the family property is going well, and the man in charge looks and sounds just a bit like Santa.

Over the last year of being home, Holly has become best friends with Caroline, near inseparable, but after a fight with a man got out of hand and filmed, it ended up on the news…only making things worse when he was found dead the next day. The clues all seemingly point to Caroline, so it’s up to Holly to once again ask around, to infuriate the sheriff, and to draw unwanted attention to herself, perhaps at a large personal cost. Will Caroline be proved innocent? Can Holly and the sheriff reconcile?

While this one still featured a romance subplot, the mystery was far better established in my opinion. With actual red herrings, misdirects, and some well thought out investigation. For me, that was quite the build off the last one, and not for nothing, this one’s a bit darker too, and chillier too, given the season. Not quite so cozy, however the author continues to offer up seasonal cheer and sugar comas galore. And I really love that it took most of book two for someone to finally label Holly as an amateur sleuth, cause really she’s just being nosy. Sadly, the others aren’t included, and I don’t have credits.

The author very kindly sent me an eARC to check out and I’m glad he did!

Here the author has presented a set of seven fantastically different stories. However, each showcases the author’s dexterity and writing know how. All throughout my reading I kept coming back to this singular thought, wow Hanson can write.

A terrible fire leaves nothing behind but the back door which mysteriously stands as a reminder of what was. A PhD student heads out for six weeks of study—a breakup day of leaves her feeling as if she needs something more, but is the trip worth it? A red lichenous plague spreads through the coasts creating a new kind of apocalypse—can they get to safety in time? The title story, Minotaur, tells the tale of a boy finding or perhaps losing his true self as he becomes one with the Labyrinthine basement under his stilted home. A grieving mother and a lost observer on a dead boat. A hole in the ground with mystifying properties to the water within. And the last is this sort of culty western feeling story with an abandoned mine that’s perhaps not so empty.

While none of the stories above are inked by any characters or plots, and most of these are kind of a general to speculative fiction, there is this kind of creeping, meandering undertone of horror that I felt throughout reading all of them. This made reading as a collection make so much sense to me, and the dread only built as I waited for something explosive to happen.

A great example of what the author is capable of, I definitely need to check out a full length novel next.

This was offered on Audible for free, so I gave it a shot looking for an in between spooky and Christmas seasons read.

This was surprisingly something I really needed. It’s refreshingly cozy, and although that’s not something I ever go for, it was kind of a compulsive read for me. I let myself get sucked in, and the journey was pretty enjoyable. Holly returns home to her family tree farm in historic Mistletoe, Maine. While going through a serious breakup, this turns out to be just the atmosphere she needs as Christmastime is nigh. From tree decorating and snowball competitions, to horse drawn sleigh rides, this town’s magic could make anyone forget the bad. However, there’s a bit of a mixup as Holly comes across a body one night. The death, terrible on its own, now threatens her family business, the safety of the town, and perhaps even Holly’s life.

Because this is supposed to be a kind of cozy and feel good read, it sort of just glosses over a lot of things. Holly was meant to get married this Christmas season, and although the breakup is the reason for her return home, there is next to zero grief in this novel. She’s much more interested in having fun, perhaps flirting with the new sheriff, and investigating the death on her own. There’s also multiple mentions of waking up and checking breath but zero mentions on showering? And the diabetic-inducing level diet these people have!

Still, if you let yourself just be in the moment with the story, it’s a fun read. Kind of Hallmark movie like, especially with the romantic side story that read as much more the point of the novel than the murder. A Christmas romance with a dash of murder, but the twist wasn’t bad. Sadly though, this was missing 11 deaths to live up to its title. For me, the hardest part to believe was the author trying to convince us that a man with a Boston accent was an attractive thing…

Huge thanks to Princeton University Press, NetGalley, and HighBridge Audio for the ARC. Graham Mack did a solid job, with a studious voice to match the subject matter. Although I wish I owned a physical so that I could have followed along with the examples!

Every once in a while, I find myself in need of something nonfiction to really clean the palette. But if I can manage to do so while also learning about dinosaurs, that’s even better. So when I saw the audio on NetGalley, I had to request it. The thing that struck me first and foremost about this, was the author’s aim to give as realistic of a viewing of dinosaurs as possible. While the date of when the first dinosaur fossil was discovered is often debated, did you know that we’ve learned shockingly little since then?

Of course for years people have heard that the dinosaurs on display in the Jurassic Park series are not entirely accurate. The type of raptors they claimed they were for example would be shorter and much more feathered apparently. Then there’s the even less believable movie, 65, starring Adam Driver, that not only showed a slew of dinosaurs together that were not even alive at the same time, but also seemingly made up their own as well. But did you know that shows the likes of Netflix’s Life On Our Planet, and Apple’s Prehistoric Planet aren’t entirely accurate either?

Due to the fact that none of these creatures still exist, it means that none of them can ever truly be studied, and therefore scientists are left with tons of guess work, inferring, and extrapolating. Most of which, has lead to what is considered to be correct today, but as the author points out, could just as easily be disproved tomorrow. The author points out how Trex eggs and nests have never been found, so not only do we not truly know how they mated and reproduced, but we cannot truly know if they guarded their nests or protected their young. Nor can we know if a single parent stayed or both (something popularized in The Lost World…). It just goes to show how little we really know. Even the concepts on group behavior could easily be disproved as the author points out that we cannot even prove that this was standard practice, something coming together due to happenstance, or tracks fossilized over time that weren’t even a group, just different passerby.

The author does a good job of displaying what we know and how we know it, while not knocking the thousands of others that have tried to learn more. As technology changes, and more fossils are inevitably discovered, that knowledge and guessing will continue on ad nauseam. It’s incredible to me just how much goes into, and how hard it is, being a scientist of any kind of.

The author very kindly offered me a review copy of his debut, and I’m glad he did. We actually swapped books!

Oh boy. What can I say that won’t be a spoiler for this one, while at the same time will be enough to make it a review? This book is anything but what you think it is, whether you read the blurb or not. And it’s simply fantastic. With characters you’ll realize are real and pop off the page. With stakes that have more weight than the words describing them. With more heart and desire for escapism than most.

Nathaniel is a reader. Capable of entering certain stories and actually living out their events. While exhilarating, it can be awfully discombobulating on the reentry to normal life. This is first shown after an explosive chapter in a hit sci-fi novel. Nathaniel makes the mistake of entering while in a bookshop with his girlfriend. A girlfriend he hardly remembers at first. And while portal fantasy isn’t all that new, I found this to be a refreshing and unique take on one with meshed elements of urban fantasy.

When the family is clearing out their late grandfather’s home, Nate comes across his unfinished manuscript and it calls to him. The following trip takes months in real time, as well as probably years off his life due to the stress. Nathaniel must overcome incredible odds to overthrow the one that plagues his grandfather’s tale, with stakes that weigh heavily on those in the outside world.

The author weaves such a brutal and heart-wrenching tale, and yet it is so filled with warmth and courage. The ability to find oneself, as well as prove themselves while they’re at it. The chance to be seen and feel seen. And the chance to rewrite yourself. Isn’t that exactly what escapism is all about? This one needs more readers.

Finally popped open my box set of Vol1-3. After finishing the show, I knew it was time to get to the source material finally.

If anything, this comic is more off the rails than the show! Which does make sense, but the show was pretty out there to begin with. A group of babies are all born at the same time, mostly to women that were not noticeably pregnant beforehand. For some reason, Reginald Hargreaves sets out to adopt as many of them as he can, eventually succeeding with 7. As he raises them, it’s apparent that he doesn’t do so out of the kindness of his heart, as each child is only bestowed with a number as a name. And eventually he launching them as their own children led superhero group. It’s apparent that they have their own rogues gallery, as well as some serious successes (and losses, aka Ben) but this is focusing on the adult versions of them.

00.05 has been stuck in the future, desperately trying to solve how to return. When he finally does, something wrong happens, and he is stuck inside his body from boyhood. His return is nothing if not timely, as they have just days to stop the end of the world.

While much of this is like season 1 of the show, it differs in some subtle ways, and in some major ways when it comes to 00.07. There are some absolutely explosive and brutal panels in this, with blood and gore that surprised even me, and it was really cool to see them in full color (reading through TWD had the volumes’ covers in color, but the panels in black and white). The main thing that stood out to me was how much more of the characters you get in the show. There beats and banter is clearly taken from the source material, but its format doesn’t allow for them to open up as much, and that’s where the show really shone for me. But that is the necessary differences when you are reading short form, so I cannot wait to get into vol2 so that I can get into more of who they are. It’s such a fun read.

Grabbed this on kindle as soon as I saw it was being released.

Two best friends have decided to move together. A fresh start in a new place, but at least they won’t be completely alone. But, of course they found a deal on the rental truck, and now it’s broken down. To kill time as they await the arrival of the mechanic, they come up with stories about the weird wood carving near them. A wolfbear with antlers, they make up reasons why it was wanted, how it was bid for and the job won, even how there was only a single tree available to make it. They really thought of everything…and wow the mechanic is really taking such a long time.

As night arrives, the two take a peer-attended pee break (for safety), and the atmosphere continues to build as they get more freaked out by the minute. When they make it back to the truck, now their refuge, they find a brand new slushy—the same kind they shared earlier—right in the cupholder. From there, they get more and more freaked out as they begin to learn that maybe not everything they thought they’d made up was make believe.

I enjoyed the relationship and banter between the friends, with whiplash quick dialogue from the author, and as a single location short story this was pretty enjoyable. With it being so short, the ‘build up’ of atmosphere is a little thin, but the ending was certainly creepy.

Thanks so much to Page Street Publishing for the physical ARC. This is the type of thing that HAS to be read in a physical form!

A truly magical and vivid read that mixes the fantastical with mythology and history. This collection of mythological creatures will have you drooling with its in-depth creature designs, its watercolor beauty, and its heavily researched yet inventive histories for each being. There’s something so special about how deeply magic this feels while also somehow feeling grounded in our world history. I thoroughly enjoyed how different cultures and parts of the world were portrayed has different relatives/branches of creatures, with none of them being depicted as first or more real.

The author delivers this beauty in parts. From creatures of the air, sea, forests, and the plains, this showcases just how wide the range of creation is in this world. While dragons will always be a personal favorite, it’s crazy to me just how many kinds of flying mythological beasts exist, and just how different they can be. I kept thinking while reading through these how so many different places in the world shared some of the same depictions and ideas and yet we’re to believe none of these existed?!

I feel like this book will scratch the itch for those that were upset by the direction the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series went. It’s educational, with tidbits from the author and other ‘mythologists’ that have evidence of, or are lacking it, to prove or disprove previous conceptions or claims. It really is such a fun and unique read. Fantasy and mythology fans will love it, and with its vivid imagery and coloration, so will children.

I’ve seen so many positive reviews for the author this year that I finally grabbed one of their books. I did the audio, and Kristen Sieh did a fantastic job with it.

On the surface, this is the quintessential werewolf story. A mysterious attack that ends in a bite. Strange healing, new appetite, an aversion to silver, and then of course, that first full moon, incredible pain, fur, and waking up bloody. But what the author has layered here is anything but typical. What could virtually function as a familial contemporary drama has been layered within this werewolf horror. Rory has returned home for a few months to help her twin sister out with the end of her pregnancy. She’s in need of something new, a change, a transformation, but the one she gets is anything but what she had in mind. And as she begins to work through the past she thought she had left behind, old friends and even old flings begin to make themselves known.

An additional layer that I thoroughly enjoyed throughout was the novel’s humor. The author has imbued this story, and even some of its more serious moments with some really great, tongue-in-cheek turns. From Rory’s dark, sarcastic millennial attitude, to her almost entirely meat driven diet, there is a sense of comic relief even when the beats turn emotional. I think as a novel taking on the werewolf trope that was a really wise and well done choice.

And while there are some darker notes here, especially those around sexual assault and compounded family trauma, the novel in essence is about bodily autonomy and choice. The mirroring of Rory losing her choice and freedom to this monstrous change to her sister’s fear and loss as she’s about to give birth and virtually have to completely relearn the idea of “self” really can’t be understated. The fact that they are twins, one with a past of trauma and the other without, really drives home that closeness as well. And together they learn that they can forgive and grow, to move forward.

The romantic side story in this did move a bit fast, but when you keep in mind their past together, it’s pretty understandable. His ability to see past her imperfections, including the monthly side with fangs, ties back into choice and the ability to move on. I will definitely read more from the author!

Helen McAlpine once again knocks it out of the park. The quality of the voices done is incredible.

Taking place right after the first, Saralene has to deal with the curses of her predecessor in a trial that leads her to the underworld. As the blurb states this is a mix of Orpheus and A Natural History of Dragons, with a vivid and bustling depiction of life after death. For some reason, underworld scenes always bring to mind the number taking scene from Beetlejuice, and while this novella doesn’t depict the souls there as horrific/harmed beings, there still is that added layer where you know they’re dead in the back of your mind.

The biggest plot point that gets moved along here is the relationship budding between Saralene and her protector, Maddileh. As her champion, they shouldn’t be seen together in that light, but as they go through twists and turns in the underworld, literally fighting for survival, sometimes plans go belly up, and the only thing left to embrace is those you truly love.

The sequel also continued the trend of the first with epigraph-like chapters giving the world lore and background information for the story. While these worked a bit less for me this time around, as I felt like they take up just as much space as the actual story, I still found the novella to be enjoyable overall. I think the main thing that stood out to me is how straightforward everything is. With it being short, there’s little room for deliberation or thought, and everything happens in a sometimes too neat row, including the combat beats. However, if you found enjoyment in the first, you absolutely will enjoy the sequel.

Loved the red and yellow of the cover, so I had to get myself a paperback for this one.

Alex is down on her luck, running away from her abusive boyfriend, and looking for a place to stay while she makes some money. With an incoming baby, she really needs to find someplace safe and quick. As the caregiver to a stroke patient, and with only mildly forged credentials, Alex begins to settle into a new role. But as the blanket of false security begins to settle over her, things begin to show themselves as anything but what they originally appeared. I loved how the granddaughter pulled at Alex’s heartstrings, appealing to her better nature, as she was trying to survive abuse already herself. For me it made it all more believable.

The opening of this for me felt very reminiscent of Riley Sager’s The Only One Left, with its down on her luck main character that’s forced into a perhaps less than desirable role in order to make ends meet. From there it diverges as this creeping, atmospheric blend of horror and mythology, that makes for one hell of a creature feature. The author uses beautifully (and horrifically) described features for the creatures and their shifting that had my skin crawling. And the tie back in the end was one I was begging the author to do!

While I did feel a bit like this closed up within only a few pages that could have perhaps been more climactic—IE the robed sisterhood could have been a bit more included—this did include several edge of your seat beats that kept me itching to get back to reading after my lunch break had ended.

Didn’t quite make this one fit into October, but the beginning of November is just as good!

This is a collection of 5 short stories that the cover boasts will be eerie, tragic & macabre. The author certainly delivers, and what I liked the most is how each has at least some kind of small twist that is unexpected, even if the subject matter is something we’ve seen before.

A group of three grave robbers find more than they bargained for in the basement of an abandoned church. Two lovers, destined to be pulled apart, will do anything for their love of each other and their home to stay intact. Two survivors during a zombie apocalypse take in a final sunset together. An occult specialist is hired to remove an entity from the beach, and having never failed before, they figure it’ll be run of the mill. A serial killer that’s anything but a newbie is being followed, or haunted, by more than just his victim.

I enjoyed each story and I look forward to reading something in a longer form by the author. The story about the lovers brought to mind the spooky house vibes of like Crimson Peak or The Little Stranger, with that willingness to hold on that was almost Hocus Pocus-y. The zombie apocalypse story had unique zombies that definitely felt like the demons from the new movie Azrael that I quite enjoyed. A worthy one to pick up for a quick read!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Stephanie Németh-Parker and Shahjehan Khan both do a fantastic job delivering their character work.

Ruby Tucker has run into some problems, and while she usually lets her anger out, rather than bottling it up, she’s just trying to course correct so she can move on. After her court mandated volunteering, she makes a bit of money on the side helping her disabled and eccentric neighbor. But while cleaning up and organizing his collection of religious relics, Ruby comes into contact with a possessed, demonic ring. Attaching itself to her finger, there’s little she can do to get it off. I enjoyed the use of Jewish mythology for the story, especially as it’s not something I’ve experienced before.

I’ve seen a lot of things label this as fantasy, and I have to say the mythology parts certainly had a fantasy otherworldly feel to them, but if anything it’s definitely urban fantasy/mythology based in horror.

While most of this read as kind of an unserious novel, the author actually does a pretty solid job combining a large number of elements. Personal and familial drama, possession and demonic influence, a rogue serial killer, and a time in which rock-n-roll was fueling the news and nation into a Satanic panic.

Not only is the ring vying for control of Ruby’s mind, but there is an actual entity bodily inhabiting her. Sent by the demon controller of the ring, his momentary freedom allows for him to try to steer Ruby to freedom as well. While the first attempts release demon spawn, at the very least one of them can play the drums. These kind of silly things kept me engaged with the plot line that was a bit more far out, and it did build into a nice emotional connection with the otherworldly characters.

The ending for me wasn’t entirely a win, it didn’t stick the landing. It certainly does subvert expectations, but it just seemed too much like giving up…spend the entire novel fighting it and looking for a way out and then you just give in? I won’t say more as I want to avoid spoilers, but that’s my gripe with this one. There is also an original song that plays throughout the novel, representing the song that Ruby must get people to sing to build the magic that will save her. Definitely not my cup of tea, I found it kind of corny, although it was for sure stuck in my head by the end. Regardless, this is one I will be thinking over for a while for sure.

Needed a kindle read to finish off October, and decided to give Mark another read!

A small harbor town has slowly been sinking into mundanity. The residents that remain have little hopes that the town will continue to survive at the rate things are going. The pub is closing and people are giving up. So when a hole opens up in the ground, spewing a thick mist while the sky rains blood, no one has any idea where to go. And the town’s dog population goes nuts, howling and baying at the phenomenon.

I really enjoyed how the story opens with super short character chapters, giving us their names, personalities, where they are at on the street, and a bit of their opinions on the other residents. It felt like a great pace and a solid way to give us an intro to the multi-POV quickly. I did worry a bit when things picked up when the chapters started combining POVs, however the characters quickly end up in one location, so it’s not an issue.

Very reminiscent of Stephen King’s the Mist, however instead of a supermarket, our cast of characters find themselves in the soon-to-be-closed pub together. And unlike The Mist’s biblical horrors, Gone to the Dogs’ eerie pit and mist spit out horrors from each character’s past. And while Towse does do a fantastic job of building the tension and anxiety of his cast, the main difference between the two is this groups ability to remain a singular unit, solidarity until the very end.

That positivity and collective made this a really strong read for me. There was one point early on where the group shares a laugh. The author makes a point to say that it drew them closer together, growing their bond through happenstance, and I remember thinking that it was a really important scene to include. My only gripe, though tiny, is that with it being a novella, the reader themselves doesn’t really feel that much for each of them by that point.

Out of the pit of horrors, what would go too far? A dark past with a family pet, an enemy soldier from a war long ago, a drug deal gone wrong, an abusive husband and a pregnancy scare are all things that could pop out of the pit. What’s your dark past, what could come crawling back for you?

You know I had to include a GB in my October TBR of spooky reads, and why not one from the new series?

I found this to be perfectly timed for me. Its middle grade nature was refreshing, palette cleansing almost. It’s such a quick read that it’s compulsively readable, and I enjoyed that there was a longer buildup to this one, allowing for some tension and self doubt, even though I didn’t really have to worry about the stakes.

Grandpa Tweety is a storyteller, so when Mario gets invited to their house, he has no idea if he’s supposed to believe him or not. Todd and Jewel, his own grandchildren, don’t know if the stories are made up either. But when the siblings’ parents go missing during a snow storm, things start to accelerate. Grampa Tweety and MomMom don’t seem that concerned, urging to kids to play and have fun—this happens more than once, urging the reader to wonder why they’re being so lackadaisical. Mario thinks he catches something on his camera but doesn’t, and his friends just think he’s spooked. He has to wonder if maybe he is just scaring himself.

Naturally in Stine fashion, Mario is not just spooked, and it’s a very twisty-turny Goblin Monday for everyone. I found the goblins to be pretty creepy, and the fact that they were described as being almost as large as the teens grossed me out for some reason (maybe I was thinking of Gremlins). A pretty standard—although never any less fun and satisfying—Stine ending with a twist right after the twist. I didn’t guess the first.

This author has become a regular during my October TBR for spooky season, and I’m glad I grabbed a paperback to read.

Six short stories all featuring art in some way. ‘Sometimes They See Me,’ the opening story and possibly more of a novelette+, explores what parts of each of us are art itself and where we bleed together. Two self destructive lovers meet on the night they planned to take their lives. Instead, they continue on, intertwined in their reckless abandon, taking in art as if it’s its own mix of drugs.

My favorite short of the collection, ‘The Binding,’ finds a man waking up while bound to a chair. He’s trapped within an art gallery, all the art featuring tortures. This felt almost like the opening of a Saw trap, with the character coming to and having no idea how they got there, but being completely immobile. It starts with disbelief, the man figuring it’s a joke, a prank, or some kind of mistake. But it’s not, and the reveal honestly made me want to write something of my own!

Another of particular enjoyment features a couple thieves intent on robbing a comic book store. While inside, one of the thieves finds a comic seemingly depicting their exact robbery. And while he stands still with the comic, his accomplice is still moving, urging the comic panels on in ‘The Barbed Lady Wants for Nothing.’

The final short, ‘The Amp,’ felt like the otherworldly feels of the band from Jennifer’s Body, but instead of demons, the entity is the musicians amplifier! It plays music that doesn’t match what the guitarist plays, it plays even when stringless, and it’s bringing about something unstoppable.

Another quick, enjoyable, and unique read.

Grabbed the audio for this on sale, and Kimberly Farr does a fantastic job bringing the cast to life.

This was unique and I’m so happy it was what I was looking for. It mixed all of the traditional haunted house tropes you’ve ever read—bleeding walls, moaning and screaming voices in the night, past residence remaining, spooky basement to avoid, bible pages tapped to doors, missing items, even kamikaze birds and more—with something that felt entirely new. It’s cozy and silly, even humorous at times, with the perfect mix of an older main character, but it’s also not without its darkness, featuring gory descriptions and haunting pasts. Margaret has finally, at long last, made it into her dream home. No way she’s leaving. So when some things start to get a little strange, it’s not such a big deal as long as she follows the rules. Her steadfast attitude that she will not be bothered was so enjoyable and fresh. Things crumbling around her? What a nice place, at least there’s an enviable wraparound porch!

While I also recently read Model Home, which didn’t exactly work for me, this was really more along the lines of what I expected from a new take on the haunted house. However, the two of them together did explore the darker pasts of their families, and what it means to be ‘haunted’. I was a bit shocked that Margaret only mentions the abuse of her husband quite a chunk into the story, as I figured that would be a huge part of your lives together, but I think overall it may have been to feed back into the character’s strength at remaining unnerved.

What I particularly enjoyed was that all of these things are woven together with a fantastic voice. The author knew exactly what they wanted and they nailed it. All of the twists are manifested right from the beginning when you are told that the house is haunted. These things are happening, have happened, but get especially bad in September. It allows for those layers of funny and scary in a way I’ve not read before.

The ending is a whirlwind of stress. I was listening on the edge of my seat. As it seemed the daughter started to unravel the house’s mystery in an entirely human way, I was really wondering if this would stick the landing. Luckily, twist after twist kept me guessing as to whether this would end in an almost psychological Shutter Island reveal or something more supernatural. And while this did take an almost too-neat turn for me, it did land well.

Another paperback I’ve had for a while that I wanted to ensure got read for my October TBR. The spooky reads are in full swing.

This novella is an ode to the nostalgic Friday nights of old. Getting out of school and getting your mom to drive you to the local video store, to Blockbuster. Browsing the aisles of those cardboard movie poster-ended racks of VHS tapes until you found the perfect one.

It also has the feel of playing into the nostalgia of old horror movies. The two page staticky play screen reminding me of the design in Shortwave Media’s Killer VHS series, and the endless references brought the entire story to life for me. If you can recall those nights, that feeling of picking the right watch, then you’ll understand why Evan Grey opened Rewind Video. To chase not only that feeling, but his dream.

It is also, an incredibly bleak examination of survival in a capitalist world. Ever growing rent, car payments, even medicine. The desire to just survive while the changing world only exacerbates the problem. Evan has sank his funds, his savings, into chasing his dream with this store. But when Evan finds an old tube tv on the sign of the road marked ‘free,’ he feels as if his opening day is off to a really good start. He grabs the tv, figuring he can get an old VHS machine running, playing movies all day long for the browsing shoppers, but things begin to spiral.

After a disastrous opening day, with next to no customers, an argument with his best friend and employee, and a weirdo stalking the back curtained area, all Evan can hear is the static from the tube tv. And the further he slips into the void, voices. He has always hated his step father, who has never been proud of him, but is that really enough here?

The ending is a bit of a revenge story mixed with Groundhog Day, and a bit of a Saw-esque new lease on life. It’s brutal in its descent, and awfully bloody. This was an enjoyable one that mixed some unique ideas!