The Faceless Old Women - Review

Author: Joseph Frink & Jeffery Cranor

Genre: Science Fiction / Horror

Format: Audiobook

Welcome to Night Vale was one of those things that, over the years, I completely forgot about. Despite the fact that during its original years I was not only up to date, but I also saw a couple of live shows. The stuff happened, and it fell by the wayside, and I assumed it was finished. Then, wouldn't you know, it came across my Libby app. So I thought I'd jump back into the podcast, and after a few dozen episodes I felt like I could jump into the novels. And I had to start with one of my favorite characters, The Faceless Old Woman.

When it came to this book, I think I knew very little. I had the background of who she was in the "current" timeline of Night Vale. But I refused to read reviews or do any research into this book. I just knew it was about the Faceless Old Women and how she got to Night Vale. Honestly, that was the best way to go into this. The less you know, the better, because anything and everything could be spoilers.

Honestly, this book blew me away. It's told in two different timelines. The first is a current timeline with the Faceless Old Woman living (mostly) in Craig's house. The whole book is told through the Woman's point of view. So we start out with her talking about Craig and his future. She's here to help him have a wonderful future, and all the creepy things she does to give him a "good" life. So I thought that this was going to be a creepy haunted house book with a spirit that wants to be an evil life coach.

Only I could be both right and so very wrong at the same time.

Because remember I said there were two timelines. The second was the woman's past, and that is how she made it all the way to Night Vale from the Mediterranean in the 1800s. This part of the tale is a swashbuckling adventure full of double crosses and near deaths. With a whole lot of Night Vale history hidden in the wings if you know what you're looking at. In fact, I thought I had a few things figured out, and again, I'm really good at being both right and wrong.

What I didn't see happen was how this book wrapped up. Because holy crap. Woof. I don't think I'd ever guess that- that was what was going to happen. I do love the reason she became faceless. How her revenge took her that far and turned her into a nobody in the end. Though I do think she's getting a lovely bit of vengeance. Because I mean, if you can't get them in life, get them in death. It's honestly really cool.

This book also has an amazing cast of characters that you fall in love with. Which makes their deaths that much harder toward the end. I actually stopped working at one point and started on my phone. Only to realize I needed to finish this book, not at home because I was going to need to sit with it. And I was going to need to give it my full attention.

If you've never heard of Welcome to Night Vale, I would say if you like weird, funny horror, check it out. All of the podcast episodes are on Spotify! But honestly, I don't think you need to know everything about Night Vale to jump into this book. While it'll help to know about the hooded figures and a few things when you get to the Craig chapters, you could do without it. But everyone needs a bit of Cecil in their lives.

Also, if you need more reason to read this book. The audiobook is read by Mara Wilson, who did a wonderful job, and I enjoyed it completely.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

Picture the scene. It's 1485, the War of the Roses is finally over and England's resolute king, Henry VII has just ascended the throne. What follows is a vibrant time of reformed religion and revitalized culture - of course its lead players wanted to be noticed. Behold Hot a collection of the most obscene glutes, obnoxious outfits, strongest jawlines, and sultriest gazes ever to be captured in paint - there is nothing quite like the portraiture of the this is truly the age of peacocking.

From the author of Hot Victorians, this book celebrates the hottest gents from the Tudor age. Across royalty, statesmen, artists, diplomats, and noblemen, this book will prove that what the Tudors lacked in subtlety, they made up for in sheer exuberance.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

  

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all do. Sometimes the cover catches our eye and draws us to take a closer look at a book. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday, I'll post some of my favorite book covers. Coming soon!

Centuries ago, in the dark of the woods, a pact was made. A gift was given. And the costs have echoed down the bloodlines.

The clans of Skin Dancers—humans able to shapeshift into the form of any animal they've eaten—rule the 1980s New England crime scene. A late summer wedding between two families is meant to usher in a new era of peace between households, and stifle the brewing tensions that threaten to boil over into war.

But something is lurking in the forest outside the family compound. Something ancient, angry...and starving.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

Yes, I know; we haven't even had Halloween yet. But I've been waiting months for this book to come into the library and for my turn. The Grinch is my favorite Christmas movie. I watch it every year! Hands down, Max is the best part of the movie. No, I will not take questions or comments about that. This was exactly what I wanted it to be. It's everything I loved about the original, but from Max's point of view. This is getting added to the things I need to buy myself at Christmas. It's so cute and was totally worth the wait, and should be a must-read for anyone who loves The Grinch.

It's been years since I originally read this book. Like I was in Junior High and should not have been reading this, long ago. Because I thought surely this book was a fever dream and I was remembering it wrong. Which meant it was probably the perfect book to read while I was waiting at the airport. This book was not a fever dream. I remembered exactly what happened at the end of this book, in techno color. And just woof. Woof! This is still one of the most brutal endings I've ever read. Still the coolest as well. Because that is one hell of a way to die.

And some change. Sarah Gailey is one of my favorite authors. So I always try to snag whatever they publish. Combine that with one of my favorite TV Shows, and I was pretty excited. This was a mixed bag for me. I loved the idea of it all: Buffy has lost her powers, and the Scooby Gang is coping. I loved that Xander has a boyfriend; I also love that Spike had his fangs back toward the end. Also, hello Faith! There was something about it, though; it was fine. I liked it; it was fun, and it was fine. I definitely want to read another volume. But I'll probably snag it from the library!

This was so much fun! I don't know if I retained any of the information that was inside this book. What I can tell you is that it was a lot of fun. It had me laughing out loud while I was working. This was a brilliant way to look at history. A reminder that learning can be fun, and history is wild because, seriously. SERIOUSLY?! It's a great combination of humor and nonfiction. I'm so glad I stumbled across this library. It was a great audiobook for work while I was doing mundane tasks.

This is my favorite vampire movie of all time. I don't just watch it at Halloween; it's one of my comfort movies. I can quote the whole thing; the title song is probably one of the most played songs on my Spotify, and I cannot wait for the Broadway play to travel. So if there was anyone this book was written for, it was me. At the start, this book was great; there was background on the making of the movie. Most of which I didn't know about the production itself. So that was cool. After that, though, the book sort of fell down for me. It got repetitive, like actual lines were used back-to-back, in a copy-and-paste kind of way. While I have no proof, toward the end it started to feel a bit, I used AI to make sense of my thoughts and look a book. However, I don't actually know for sure, and it was only a little over sixty pages. So yeah, I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed it because I was wrapped up in one of my favorite movies. Not because it was great. Which was a bit of a bummer.

HAPPY READING!!

Edmonds November SBC

Huge thank you to everyone who came out to our little spooky Silent Book Club! If you couldn't make it last Wednesday, never fear, we'll be back on November 18th, 2026!! We'll start reading at 7:30 pm, but show up early for dinner or drink. 

Also, don't forget to bring your ideas for 2027 Book BINGO! 

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms - Unboxing

 

October Theme: Sacred Spaces 

Okay, okay, buckle up, everyone, and let me tell you a story about this month's Night Worms box. Because I swear this stuff only happens to me. So, for context, I live fairly close to where Night Worms ships from. That means it usually takes only a couple of days to get to me. So I thought, oh! I should be able to open this before I leave to go see my family in the Midwest! Oh, how very wrong I was. First, the package was trapped in Seattle at the post office. Okay, cool, that happens. It'll be a nice little thing to look forward to when I get home. 

But then! While at the airport, I was like, I'll just check on this package and the other thing I have coming. I wanted to get a timeline from my friend who was picking up the mail while I was out. Somehow it ended up in Georgia! That's thousands of miles away from where I wanted it. Which begged the question of if I was going to get this package. 

Lo and behold, I got an email a couple of days later saying my package was out for delivery. And wouldn't you know it. After a long adventure, I came home to this:

Everything arrived! Books were in amazing condition, and I was both shocked and happy. I honestly thought only the mailer was going to arrive. So, to get everything in perfect condition was amazing! Because I was so excited to read Rooted! Also, the tea that came for this month's hot beverage sounds amazing. As soon as the weather dips into the dark and cold, and I need the heated blanket, I'll give it a go!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we haven't yet 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 folks at Breaking the Spine.

A darkly immersive mystery set in a small town in the Swiss Alps, where the Sax clan calls the shots. But the arrival of a stubborn pair of detectives threatens to upend their plans—especially when the land itself begins to awaken.In the dead of winter, detective Frank Sangaré and his partner, Ms. Umber, arrive in Saint-Elme, a remote mountain town famed for its spring water. Their assignment seems locate a wealthy runaway who vanished three months before. But Saint-Elme is anything but ordinary.As the investigation deepens, the detectives collide with the Sax family, which rules the town from the shadows. With tensions rising and the case spiraling out of control, Sangaré and Umber find unexpected allies among the townsfolk—and from the mountains themselves, where ancient forces are beginning to stir.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

After a series of violent crimes wracks the Paris Opera House, Christine Daaè’s career is in chaos. But the show must go on, and Christine will discover that no one – especially the mysterious voice whispering from the eaves – are what they seem.

As an old friend return to investigate these surprising attacks, Christine will discover her connection to the truth and the man known as...THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

  

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all do. Sometimes the cover catches our eye and draws us to take a closer look at a book. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday, I'll post some of my favorite book covers. Coming soon!

April Harker lives a small life in a small Massachusetts town, with small sums for the fairy stories she sells and small pleasures since her parents lost all their money in the 1929 crash. Until the day Julius Thackeray arrives. A man with an unsettling blue-black beard and excess wealth, Thackeray promises to marry April. To take her to his estate outside Boston, make her stories famous, show her the world.

But April should know from her fairy stories that a man promising the world on one’s doorstep is too good to be believed. Thornwood House is a sprawling mansion in the middle of nowhere, with hallways that lead different places on different days and silent-footed servants keeping house. And someone—something—else. Spectral presences who leave lipstick-stained teacups in the library and drop the temperature in empty halls. Who haunt her nightmares. Who know the truth of Thornwood House.

Drawn to one of these ghosts, a mysterious specter named Marie, April begins to find comfort in their presence. But when Thackeray entrusts April with the keys to a seemingly infinite number of rooms, the horrifying secrets at the heart of Thornwood House come to light. Trapped in a cycle of violence, April and Marie must escape their house of horrors—together or not at all.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we haven't yet 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 folks at Breaking the Spine.

Nora Pacetti is a new stay-at-home mother, tired but coping while caring for her happy, healthy baby Olivia. But then one morning, something that looks like a feather starts growing out of Olivia's arm. Or at least, that’s what Nora’s mother, Giulia, thinks. Nora thinks her mother has probably spent too much time watching conspiracy videos on YouTube.

Nora’s husband thinks Olivia needs tests, specialists, hospitals. But Nora senses that whatever is happening to her daughter needs to be concealed—and a mother’s intuition is never wrong. Soon sinister people begin asking questions about Olivia, and Nora starts to wonder if there really is something wrong with her baby. But she’s determined discover the truth about her daughter…no matter the cost.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

Welcome to the dark. It has very sharp teeth.

Based on the internationally bestselling comic series, with millions of copies in print,​ the first full-length novel from the terrifying world of Something Is Killing the Children—a stunning collaboration between Eisner-winning co-creator James Tynion IV and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White

As a Black Mask, Erica Slaughter has a very straightforward job: find the monster, kill the monster, then do it all again. But when she arrives in Badwater, Idaho, nothing is simple. She can’t determine whether the horrific killer of a twelve-year-old was a bear, a person, or something much worse. Complicating matters is the charismatic doomsday preacher who is quickly leading the small town to the verge of hysteria. If Erica wants to save the surviving children, she has to figure out which kid’s fears might have summoned a monster—and fast. Erica must get to the truth before the Order and the town come to the same conclusion: to stop the monster, you have to kill the girl.

Hope Is a Knife is a chilling, original tale in SIKTC lore, where monsters are real and only the hunters of the Order of St. George are equipped to challenge them. Whether or not you’ve already devoured the Eisner Award–winning comics, this standalone vision of supernatural horror is a thrill ride of the highest order.

HAPPY READING!!