Next Silent Book Club

Hello again! The first Silent Book Club had a really good turnout, about a dozen of us came out to read. I'll be co-hosting another event on March 20th. We're hoping more people will be able to join us, and now have a standing time to meet. It will be every third Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm at Leftcraft in Edmonds. If you're in the area, all are welcome. Leftcraft is a restaurant and bar with something for everyone. 

It doesn't matter what you read, or how you read. From Kindles to Audiobooks, all are welcome! This month we had a mixed bag of what people were reading, and how. You can find out more about the Silent Book Club here, and more about the Edmonds Chapter here! 

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Temple Baker knows that evil runs in her blood. Her father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer known for how he marked each of his victims with a brand. He was convicted for murdering 20 people and was the talk of countless true crime blogs for years. Some say he was possessed by a demon. Some say that they never found all his victims. Some say that even though he’s now behind bars, people are still dying in the woods. Despite everything though, Temple never believed that her dad killed her mom. But when he confesses to that crime while on death row, she has no choice but to return to his old hunting grounds to try see if she can find a body and prove it.

Turns out, the farm that was once her father’s hunting grounds and her home has been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. So Temple poses as a camp counselor to go digging in the woods. While she’s not used to hanging out with girls her own age and feels ambivalent at best about these true crime enthusiasts, she tries her best to fit in and keep her true identity hidden.

But when a girl turns up dead in the woods, she fears that one of her father’s “fans” might be mimicking his crimes. As Temple tries to uncover the truth and keep the campers safe, she comes to realize that there may be something stranger and more sinister at work—and that her father may not have been the only monster in these woods.

Why I'm Waiting: This book hits many of my favorite tropes: serial killer, summer camp thriller, and a main character looking into the family's dirty history. High hopes for this one!
 

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

      

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

New and exclusive short stories and poems inspired by bad mothers from some of today' s fiercest women in horror. Featuring Rachel Harrison, Gwendolyn Kiste, Kristi DeMeester, and Kelsea Yu, edited by Lindy Ryan with a foreword by Sadie “ Mother Horror” Hartmann.From mama trauma to smother mother, this all-new women in horror anthology features stories about the scariest monster of them all— our mothers.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

Ugh, I had such high hopes for this story. It started on such a high note with this creepy maze and even creepier house. The first half of this book is so solid and moves pretty quickly, and you feel like you're kind of starting to figure it out. I had this whole theory up until the last maybe twenty or so pages. After that, I'm not entirely certain what happened. Is the daughter dead? Is Miss V dead? What exactly going on in this house? Does it have anything to do with the fact it used to be a church? What was up with the creepy paintings? I was just left with so many questions and no real answers that it was a bit of a letdown with such a strong build-up.

Mini Reviews

 

This! This! I'm so glad I stumbled across this. So last year I discovered my favorite way to open the kitchen was through audiobooks, and this has been sitting on my library shelf for a few months. I was saving for my next slump, when I didn't know what to read, or lost my will to finish whatever I was reading. And, this was worth the wait! I loved this spin on canon on how Moriarty became the criminal mastermind, what drove him, and Dominic Monaghan as Moriarty was a brilliant cast, the story was solid and made it hard to push the pause button at open when I needed to focus. In fact, the story pushed them from being my at-work book to my waiting for the bus, doing laundry, and doing extra chores book. I loved that it ended on a cliffhanger because it set up the second perfectly. While the cast as a whole was brilliant my absolute favorite was that Billy Boyd plays one of my favorite Holmsian characters, Sebastion Moran. I enjoyed this entire thing so much that I immediately jumped into the second story. Which I would have done even without the cliffhanger because Monaghan makes a brilliant Moriarty and I was ready to let that go.

I want more of these. Many, many more. I loved the team-up between Sherlock and Moriarty, you could taste their distance from each other. Though, I was a little bummed that the voice that for Moran changed, he was still brilliantly portrayed. The Silent Order brings in one of my favorite Holmsian villains, Milverton. Only this time Milverton is a woman, but voiced by Helen Mirren. This is the story that ties up a large chunk of the loose ends together from the first audiobook while diving a little deeper into the organization that created Porlock. I thought that did justice to Milverton, and I loved that it was Moriarty who managed to beat her and not Sherlock. This is such an interesting take on the classic characters. I felt the ending was solid and I was satisfied with how both stories wrapped up, though my heart ached for Moriary at the end. 

Still, I would love to get more of these stories, no matter where they fall in the timeline of the first two. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the case.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

But is the house truly haunted?
Of course the house is haunted.

Button House has stood for generations, digging its roots and its rot deeper and deeper. Button House would consume all who approached: twin brothers, a child bride, an innocent baby, four young factory workers.

And then came Rose Billings, who had an affinity with the house no other did. Rose, who could hear the house and the pleas of its many ghosts. Rose, who would attempt to solve the mysteries of Button House, or die trying.

Why I'm Waiting: I mean I'm weak for any kind of haunted (mayhaps cursed) house!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

The final chapter of the Tribulation saga and the decisive showdown between Erica Slaughter and Cutter!

After narrowly surviving the Duplicitype, Erica Slaughter must still reckon with the murderous Cutter in order to save the people of Tribulation. Separated from Dolly and driven by desperate rage, Cutter won't stop until she exacts her revenge on Erica. But the horror is far from over as the terrifying Duplicitype, the infamous monster wearing Erica’s likeness that changed Something is Killing the Children forever, also remains at large and in relentless, sinister pursuit! And with Cecilia showing up onsite, will Erica finally find the ally she needs, or is betrayal in the cards? Whose side are they on? Most importantly, what chance does Erica stand? Collects Something is Killing the Children #31-35.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

      

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets in the captivating new horror novel from the national bestselling author of Good Girls Don't Die and Horseman.

Harry Adams has always loved horror movies, so it’s not totally a coincidence that she took the job cleaning house for movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding graystone Chigago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes, as well as glittering awards from his career making horror films that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry has always tried to clean the house immaculately, keep her head down, and keep her job safe—she needs the money to support her son. But then she starts hearing noises from behind a locked door. Noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help, even though Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows that not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon finds that the forbidding house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

I had never heard of this series until I stumbled onto them because of my library suggesting them to me. A vampire short story published by Tor, yes, please. I had to wait a little bit on this because a few people were interested, but it was totally worth the wait. Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law is a quick, just over twenty pages, and the first in a six-book series. I already have book two waiting for me on my Kindle. It just came a few days ago. 

This was a lot of fun. I enjoyed Judge Dee as a character and his familiar Johnathan. They have this very interesting banter and partnership. Where Judge Dee kind of needs him for daylight things, but also sometimes forgets that Johnathan is human. But, also Johnathan doesn't want to be a bother. So the poo kid survives basically on air. The story on this was also really good. I will admit that I didn't realize the ending until the last couple of pages. If you love vampire books and are in the mood for something light and funny, definitely check out this series!

I have never read a Garth Nix book, but he is one of my friend's favorite authors. So I've always had his books on my library TBR. Something I wanted to try because this friend knows what I like to read, and they say I'll enjoy his books. I probably will. So this book seemed like the perfect reason to finally read one of his books. Not only is it a short read, but it's also a short story in the Holmes Canon. Kinda, like this exists in a world where Sherlock also exists. But, also magic. So really this had my attention. This book does one of my favorite things in fantasy books, just drop-kicks you into the middle of the plot. And for a very small amount of time, you're left sort of floundering to catch up. And, you will. While the plot unfolds on the first few pages, you start piecing the world and the characters together.

The plot moves quickly, and it was a nice surprise for me as well. Another of my favorite tropes is buried into this one, and I got super excited when I realized. In just a few short pages a mystery is solved, magic unleashed, and a pretty cool battle happens. I mean the monster in this was awesome! And, the story works in just under thirty pages. As a reader, you get in and out of the mystery feeling good that everything has been tied up. But, there are still some questions left unanswered, but not annoyingly so. I'd love for this to become a series. I'd follow Magnus anywhere! 

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms - Unboxing

February Theme: Human Contact

Okay, real talk, aliens as a whole freak me out. I did not enjoy E.T. as a child, I did not find it cute or funny. I still don't as an adult. Personally, I think Tommyknockers is the scariest book Stephen King has written, and the Xenomorph makes my skin crawl. Even when the aliens are supposed to be cute and funny, I do not like it. Now, while many would mean they would avoid these themes when picking up books, it's one of the things that draws me to books. I've always enjoyed being scared and spooky things. So even though aliens scare the hell out of me, I'm still really excited about this month's Night Worms packages.

Mostly because I know without a doubt both of these books are going to freak me out. Probably sleep with the lamp kind of freak out. Which means I'm pumped for both books!

Can we all take a moment to enjoy this sticker. It's absolutely adorable, but the magnet is my favorite part. It's cute and funny! Definitely, my top five favorites that I've slapped on our fridge over the last year since we started getting them. Very much a keeper! Also, I'm excited to try the coffee this month. It's a flavor I haven't gotten from Bones Coffee before!

HAPPY READING!!

Silent Book Club

That's right, I'll be co-hosting a Silent Book Club next week with my job! I've been talking about doing it with a friend of mine for a while, and the chance sort of fell into our lap when I mentioned it as something we could do. The owners thought it was a neat idea and thanks to our Social Media Manager, I think that's her title, in how she's amazing. And, thanks to her the ball didn't get so much rolling as kicked down a hill.

Now we're a week out from the first, of what I hope many are Silent Book Club Parties. My goal is to make the low-stress, filled with good food and new friends. Just one moment out of every month where people can come and just read and have a couple of hours to themselves. Because I get it, it's easy to forget to pick your up book. There are shows to watch, things to do, people to see, and housework that never seems to stop needing to be done. I still don't know how I end up having so much laundry every week. 

So, what is a Silent Book Club Party? Well, you can find all the information about them here! You can even find out if there's a Silent Book Club near you! 

It's something I used to do in 2020 when everything was shut down. They were something to look forward to every month when there wasn't much to look forward to. Now I'm excited to co-host my own in a week. It doesn't how you read (physical, audio, or ebook) or what genre you read. I'm a huge believer in any reading, is reading. So if you're in the area, have a book, and want to meet other readers. Stop in and join us!

You can find more information about our Silent Book Club here!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Last summer, they searched for Audrey Covington.

This summer, they'll search for the truth.

Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in Clearwater Ridge, with lazy days sunning at the waterfalls and nights partying at the sprawling houses of the rich families who vacation there. The Covingtons are one of these families, and beautiful, brilliant Audrey Covington is Paige's best friend. And last year, when Audrey's crush-worthy brother Dylan finally started noticing Paige, she was sure it would be the best summer ever.

Except Audrey didn't seem quite like herself. Then one night, she didn't come home. Though Audrey wasn't the first girl to disappear in Clearwater Ridge, she left behind more lies than clues. Now, one summer later, her case has gone cold, and nobody, least of all Paige, can make sense of what happened.

When Paige stumbles across a secret hidden in Audrey's room, however, it changes everything she thought she knew about last summer. She and Dylan set out on their own investigation, discovering things even the police don't know about the people of Clearwater Ridge. But tracking down missing girls—girls who might be beyond saving by now—means entering a world far darker than Paige has ever imagined. And if she isn't careful, she'll become the next girl to vanish.

Why I'm Waiting: This seems like it's going to be hard to put down.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Retired soldier Alex Easton returns in a horrifying new adventure.

After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.

In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

      

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter, who might just say yes to get away from his father. It’s a good plan!

Or it would’ve been, if he wasn’t kidnapped by a mermaid.

With her last shot at happiness lost in the deep blue sea, Jane must venture to the world underwater to rescue her maybe-fiancé. But the depths of the ocean hold beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. What good can a plain Jane do?

From Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared author Vera Brosgol comes an instant classic that flips every fairy-tale you know, and shows one girl's crusade for the only thing that matters―her own independence.

HAPPY READING!!

Birthday Book Haul

No birthday around here is complete without a bookstore stop. This year I was able to go to a bookstore I don't get to very often, Wanderlust Books. I had the perfect day. The sun was out this morning and the temps were up. So it was a great walk to the bookstore with a quick stop to the bakery on the way back to the hotel. I'm obsessed with their carrot cake, and who knows when I'll be back out this way again. While it's not far from where I live, it's out of the way, and I'm really this far North. So this was the perfect little getaway. I might have to think about doing it again over the summer.

But, on to the books. Two of these books have been on my TBR for an amount of time. One I wasn't sure about because I've never read a Garth Nix book, but that's no longer true. And after the last book I read by him, I'm excited to jump into the universe he's most known for. As for My Murder, I hadn't heard of this one, until this week, and the bookstore clerk told me two of their book clubs loved it. Plus, it sounds right up my alley. So I'm really excited to jump into this one. Said clerk also added a couple more books to my TBR that their books club loved. I've also been obsessed with Tor Publishing books for the last couple of weeks. So I couldn't pass up adding another one of their books to by library.

Honestly, most of these are going onto my TBR cart and 2024 TBR stack. Of course, I say that all the time and some of those books have been on my shelf for a long time. Still, I'm going to give it a good go to read this stack by the end of the year.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

While Crown Tower is hands down my favorite book in this series, The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter is a close second. I really enjoyed this plot because it had a lot of movie parts, but they all slid together quite well in the end. I also really enjoyed Genny and how despite everything never gave up. She even had a plan to save herself even though she thought she had nothing to go back for. Evelyn was easily my favorite character and how she kind of became Royce's mother. Which he needs! And, how finally another look into Hadrian's backstory. I live for these little crumbs of his life before Royce.  But best of all was watching (reading) Royce finally realize that no matter what he'll have Hadrian, his unicorn, in a world full of people who have let him down.

I am so pumped for the next book in the series, Drumindor, the Kickstarter goes live on March 13th! 

One of the nights I couldn't sleep I was flipping through Libby, just adding things to my TBR. When I realized Tor Publishing had a ton of novellas up, and honestly Tor has rarely let me down. I snagged this once because it was filled with a BINGO square, and this was a wild ride. It starts out with two guys just hanging on in the backyard. Neighbors that get along in the passing way. When one asked the other about a ghost story. 

I don't know what I was expecting from this story, but this was not it. However, I was satisfied. This was trippy, a little gross, and really cool. I loved the ending on this, the creatures were so cool and gross, and this is one of those stories that thrive as a novella. With only twenty-four pages the story moves quickly, there's no chance to over-science the creatures. I loved this. I definitely need to check out more by this author.

Oh, KJ Parker, I adore your books, but they break my brain. Even knowing this every time I find another novella, I pick it up. There's just something about this world he's created that I love. Something about his writing style is that despite the fact it breaks my brain, I love it. This one might be one of my favorites. The main characters talk about all the ways people burn books, and all the ways religion is complicated. All the while I loved the main character and really his want to just exist and create beautiful books. I loved how he managed to keep himself out of trouble with the scroll he was given to translate and nearly save it. I honestly read this book through once and then read it again. Because despite being just over thirty pages, I felt like I missed something. Which is how it always goes with Parker books. I think that's why I like them. They make me think, and I always need to go back and read them repeatedly. Because I know there was something I missed in the first couple of times I read them.  

HAPPY READING!! 

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

A quippy and irreverent collection of illustrated profiles of the great American women who weren’t attractive, well-spoken, demure, or sinless enough to receive their rightful place in history, until now, from New York Times bestselling author Therese Oneill.

Slut. Shrew. Sinful. Scold. The 19th- and early 20th-century American women profiled in this collection were called all these names and worse when they were alive. And that’s just fine.

These glorious dames earned those monikers, and one hundred years later they can wear them proudly! They refused to conform to societal standards. They bucked everyday niceties and blazed their own trails. They were collectively unbecoming as women, but they forever changed what women can become.

With irresistible charm and laugh-out-loud impertinence, New York Times bestselling author Therese Oneill chronicles the lives of eighteen unbecoming ladies whose audacity, courage, and sheer disdain for lady-like expectations left them out of so many history books. Curious readers will learn about forgotten heroines such
-Dr. Mary Edwards who, despite being the only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, was shunned and forgotten due to her insistence on wearing pants in public.
-Elizabeth whose careful record of her own unjust incarceration in a 19th century madhouse by her husband (her not wanting to be Presbyterian anymore) led to nationwide law reforms to protect the rights of those with mental health issues.
-Lilian best remembered for being the real-life mom of Cheaper by the Dozen but who probably should be remembered for scientifically removing the stigma of the sanitary napkin and designing the modern-day kitchen.
-And many more!

With dozens of illustrations and historical photographs throughout, Unbecoming a Lady shines a light on unforgettable, impressive women who deserve to be remembered.

Why I'm Waiting: Therese Oneil is an instant buy author for me. I've adored her last two books, and this is one of my most anticipated reads of 2024!!

HAPPY READING!!