Indie Bookstore Day

 HAPPY SATURDAY! It's Independent Bookstore Day! If ever there was a day to go to your local indie bookstore, today is that day! Normally Seattle throws a big sort of scavenger hunt-type things. Where you get a stamp for every small bookstore you pop into. There are prizes along the way both big and small. On a normal year, a friend and I would trek all over to both some of our favorite stores and new ones. It was a good excuse for the two of us not only to get to spend the day together but support local businesses. 

On the downside this year our schedules couldn't align for several reasons. The upside is this year I work just a couple of blocks from my local bookstore. So I'll definitely be dropping in on my afternoon break to support them. The double upside is I won't miss out on the excuse to hit up more than one bookstore because celebrations out here last nine extra days! So I'll have a great reason to stop into a couple of the more out of the way bookstores that I definitely don't get to support enough.

My wallet may not thank me, but my summer reading will be well booked!

Is anyone else going to be able to get out to their local bookstore today?

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

I forgot how emotionally damaging the last two books were, and I just jumped into this last book like I was going to be fine. Nothing was fine. From start to finish nothing was fine. That was a straight-up punch to the gut and the feelings. It's a wild ride from cover to cover. I wish Dodge would have taken over anyone else to get to the Black Door. I hate that it was all done through Bode's body. I also sort of feel like it was an easy out. I would have loved for it to have been Nina, the mother. She's my least favorite character. As I've stated before I much prefer Nina on the TV show to the book version. Bode just seemed to clever to get caught up by Dodge, and the house kept talking to him, showing him keys. And, I love Bode, it was hard to see him go dark side. But, I do like the ending of this. It's got a bit of happy mixed with the sad. So four solid stars for both of these, and I definitely want to jump into the two short stories set in this universe. I'd also love to see prequels in this universe. We get a taste in volume five, but I'd love a full-on series!

But now it's time to marathon the series! I finished season one, but I pushed off season two because of all the changes, and I wanted to remember how the book ends. That way I can compare it two together. So far I really like what changes they'd made between the comics and the show. I also like the new keys that have appeared in the show!

HAPPY READING!!

My Little Occult Book Club - Review

 

Author: Steven Rhodes

Genre: Humor/ Horror

Format: Hardback

Pages: 80

I was so excited when I found this book! Satire and humor books like this are some of my favorites. Add on the fact it centers around Steven Rhodes' designs, and there was no way I wasn't bringing this home with me. Not only did I read this the same day I picked it up, but I also cannot wait for Spooky Season so this can sit over my fireplace.

It wasn't just the artwork that felt nostalgic, it was also the way the book was set up. Like the old Scholastic booklets, we use to get in school to order the books from. With all the extra bookish things we could get besides the books. Even the wording was similar and took me back to the days I'd beg for a new Goosebumps book or some other series I was currently obsessed with.

On top of the nostalgia, the book is quite funny and plays into Rhodes' designs perfectly. It brings them to life in a fun way that is perfect for anyone who loves spooky things but maybe doesn't love things that are too creepy. I would also read every single one of the little how-to books that were sold in this booklet. 

This was a fun and quick read, and I'm glad I picked it up. It's gonna look great with the rest of our spooky collection, and for now, it looks great on my shelf. 

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.

Death Makes Great TV.

Frankie Percival is cashing in her chips. To save her brother from financial ruin, Frankie—a single-stage performer and mentalist who never made it big—agrees to be assassinated on the most popular television show on the planet: Death Warrant. Once she signs her life away, her memory is wiped clean of the agreement, leaving her with no idea she will soon be killed spectacularly for global entertainment.

After years of working in low-rent theaters, Frankie prepares for the biggest performance of her life as her Death Warrant assassin closes in on her. Every person she encounters could be her killer. Every day could be her last.

She could be a star if only she lives that long.

Why I'm Waiting: This sounds like it's going to be a wild ride!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure for middle-grade fans of Holly Black and Tamora Pierce.

Twelve-year-old Octavia grew up believing the town of Vittoria was the only one left in the world. The sole survivors of a deadly magical war and plague, the people of Vittoria know there’s no one alive outside the town walls—except the terrible monsters that prowl the forest.

But then the impossible happens: Octavia meets another girl beyond the walls, someone who isn’t Vittorian. Everything she’s ever believed is thrown into question, and there’s no going back.

In her quest for the truth, Octavia discovers a world full of lies, monsters, and magic. She’ll have to use every scrap of her skill, wits, and courage to uncover what’s real about Vittoria and the rest of the world. 

My review for Hunters of the Lost City can be found here!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

   

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally 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!

Jack and Sally are "truly meant to be" ... or are they?

Sally Skellington is the official, newly-minted Pumpkin Queen after a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack, who Sally adores with every inch of her fabric seams -- if only she could say the same for her new role as Queen of Halloween Town. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of queenly duties, Sally can't help but wonder if all she's done is trade her captivity under Dr. FInkelstein for a different -- albeit gilded -- cage. But when Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a long-hidden doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town in the forest Hinterlands, she'll unknowingly set into motion a chain of sinister events that put her future as Pumpkin Queen, and the future of Halloween Town itself, into jeopardy. Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she's learned to call home, or will her future turn into her worst... well, a nightmare.

HAPPY READING!!

Below - Review

 

Author: Laurel Hightower

Genre: Novella / Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 124

In this house we love Mothman. So pre-ordering Below was a no-brainer. The cover was awesome, the back of the books sounded even better, and I've read good things about Laurel Highower's other books Crossroads. 

I really enjoyed it! Below starts off with a bang that immediately catches your attention. A few pages later my I was already starting to like our main character, Addy. On the surface, she wasn't anything spectacular, but she was digging herself out of a bad marriage. She was going out on her own, trying to find herself again, and I liked her inner monologue throughout the whole book. I really liked watching her find her voice, and her strength and I'm glad she was the Final Girl. But, she starts off just a normal woman going to a horror convention.

A bonded with Addy quickly as our narrator. 

The pacing of the book was another great thing about Below. Hightower moves everything along at a quick tempo. Something happens and before either Addy or myself get to grasp it, another thing happened, then another, then just as everything starts to come together, another thing. The chapters are short which kept me from lingering too long on any one problem as it arose. A lot of them end with a cliffhanger so couldn't help but turn the page and keep going. There was plenty of 'what the hell' and 'absolutely not' moments.

So many moments of me sitting on my couch muttering to myself as one more thing happened. Of me making faces as out gross and visceral it got at one point. Because of course, I was eating when I got to the part. Why would I not be eating?

Below has both the ick factor and some great jump-scare moments. Both were wins for me. But, it also left me with so many questions at the end. Not the bad plot hole kind, just the 'are we really not going to find out about the bodies in the trailer?' kind of questions. Because I tell you what, I a hundred percent don't need to know what those things in the cave were.

The less I know about them, the better I'll sleep. Just the description from Hightower was a hard freaking pass. No, no thank you.

Lastly, I love the use of Mothman in this book. I thought it was great, and really that part of the USA just freaks me out in general. So many weird things happen out there, and it's the last place I'd like to be stranded in the dark and alone. All around a great read. Definitely going to have to pick up other books by Laurel Hightower in the near future! 

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.

An incredible four-decade account of murder, power, and corruption in one of the country’s largest police departments
 
In 1979, the gruesome slaying of a thirteen-year-old boy riveted the suburbs of Suffolk County, New York. As the county hustled to bring the case to a dubious resolution, a wayward local teenager emerged with a convenient story to tell. For his cooperation, Jimmy Burke was rewarded with a job as a cop.

Thus began Burke’s unlikely ascent to the top of one of the country’s largest law enforcement jurisdictions. He and a crew of like-minded allies utilized vengeance, gangster tactics, and political leverage to become the most powerful and feared figures in their suburban empire.

Until a pilfered bag of sex toys brought it all crashing down.

Jimmy the King is the story of the rise, reign, and paranoiac fall of a corrupt cop and his regime—a crime family with badges and guaranteed pensions. Novelistic in detail and piercing in its political insight, this book will leave you questioning who modern policing serves, who it protects, and who it preys upon and abandons.

Why I'm Waiting: Well, this has all of my attention.

HAPPY READING!!

Book Haul

This book haul it brought to us by the need for snacks! Which meant a trip to the dollar store because the plan is to fill my snack box for the whole month. Plus, I've found some gems at the dollar stores in my neck of the woods, though rarely any books. Sunday was the exception to that rule because I found not only one but two gems hiding under a pile of spy novels. Naturally, both had to come home with me.

I adored the first book in the Tales of Pell series, but true to form I haven't finished the series. So not that I have both the second and third books, I have less reasons not to jump back into them. I have a lot of Cat Winters books on my Goodreads TBR and my roommate really liked one of their books. Sort of seemed like a no brainer to add it to my cart. 

Not a bad haul from the dollar store when I was just there fore the cheap snacks. Which I did get, my snack box nearly overly flowing with wonderful snacks. I even found a bag of only banana laffy taffy. I couldn't have asked for a better start to my weekend.

What's everyone else's go to ready snack?

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sundays

   

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally 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!

For Dracula lovers and fans of Diana Urban’s All Your Twisted Secrets, this spine-tingling thriller follows seven horror buffs as their dream trip to a remote Romanian castle turns into a nightmare when they begin to be killed one by one.

Alex Rush is ready for the trip of a lifetime.

She and her friends have made some creepily awesome films together throughout high school, so with only a few months left before they go their separate ways for college, they’re determined to make the best one yet: an epic short film that reimagines the story of Dracula, filmed on location at a remote castle in Romania.

But when they get there, it’s not quite the majestic setting they planned for. Menacing weapons line the walls, the twisted halls are easy to get lost in, and with no connection to the outside world, the group is unexpectedly off the grid. After just a few hours spent under its roof, Alex and her friends have no trouble imagining how this dark, terrifying castle inspired one of the most enduring horror novels of all time.

Only soon they no longer have to use their imaginations to understand the location’s terrifying history—just as they get the film’s first shot rolling, one of Alex’s friends disappears, and she’s nearly certain she saw a cloaked stranger lurking in the shadows. As more members of the group begin to meet an untimely demise, Alex is desperate to stop the bloodshed, even if it means facing a monster she never thought would be let loose.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

More re-reads! I'm still going back through Locke & Key and American Vampire. I didn't realize that I never finished the American Vampire series, or that there were so many stand-alone issues for Locke & Key. 

This is the issue where Joe Hill sort of dumped a whole bunch of keys in our lap, and we finally get introduced to Erin Voss. I like the way they handled the battles with Dodge in this issue. Most of them are a page spread of them fighting whatever Dodge has thrown them without much of an actual storyline. Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork tells the story in vivid and bright colors. I love that Tyler starts to catch on to all of Zac's lies and that Bode has found some friends. Though, I realize I prefer TV sho Nina to book Nina. Book Nina is the worst, and like I fully understand she's been through hell and back. So I understand she's struggling, but really, the Locke kids are raising themselves. I also completely forgot about the end of this volume and the Bode side plot. 

This, this was a lot, and also could I forget this volume. Volume Three is my favorite so far, but not because of the story at the start. Pearl's story is fine, but the way they set it up I figured there would be something more. Not the happy ending we got. However, I really liked the second story when Cash came back. I like that we got to see more about his son, and more about Book's daughter. Though I'll be very disappointed if Skinner is already dead. And his death was so meh. I liked Pearl in the first books, but I don't understand why we needed to bring her back, or why Skinner all of sudden cared. It was just alright. I'm beginning to see why I set this series aside.

HAPPY READING!!

Ring Shout - Review

Author: P. Djeli Clark

Genre: Novella / Horror

Format: Hardback

Pages: 185

I almost put this one to the side before finishing the first chapter, but I kept thinking about all the amazing reviews I'd seen on this one. So I told myself to give it a few more pages, and before I knew it I was hooked. Really it was just getting my mind wrapped around the first-person point of view. They aren't my favorite, but for Ring Shout it's needed. Seeing this whole thing unfolded from Maryse Boudreaux's point of view made it all the more visceral in my opinion. It gave more life to the story and more emotion.

I will say after reading reviews and the front flap I thought I knew what I was getting into. I was read for the body horror What I wasn't ready for was how much I adored Maryse Boudreaux, Chef, and Sadie. I wasn't ready for every single time this book hit me in the feelings. I wasn't ready for the sort of Odessey-like adventure that Ring Shout was, and I wasn't ready for the humor slid in between the pages. 

Ring Shout was one of those books that I love how short it was because we get a taste of this bigger story. At the same time, I would have loved for it to be longer just because I would follow Maryse and Chef anywhere. I also would love a prequel to the story, basically anything that drops me back into the universe. 

This book is fast-paced and hard to put down. While the horror isn't jump out of the shadows scary, it definitely grossed me out in a handful of places. From the first word, you know who the bad guys are, despite being taken over by a demon/monster thing. The monster didn't make them bad, they were already filled with hate. The demons feed off that hate, and just make their evil amplified. 

I do love that we get a semi-happy ending! Maryse deserved the closer that she got, to be able to let go of things she was holding onto. I love that she kind of got her man, in only a way she could, and I love the decision she made at the end of the book. I love that this was also an open ending. The main story was all tied up, but the war wasn't over yet. Not for Maryse and Chef.

This review in no way does this book justice. I've sat here trying to talk about it without giving it too much away. I do know I'm glad I didn't put it aside because I ended up loving it. It's definitely not for everyone with the body horror, and it does have some pretty gross moments throughout the book. But, it's already one I've been recommending to friends who read this genre!

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.

In every person's story, there is something to hide...

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation, and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning―it just happens that one is a murderer.

Award-winning author Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

Why I'm Waiting: I love a locked mystery, and the killer among us is one my favorite mystery tropes!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Peter Pan is missing; Neverland is in trouble. For adults, that might not matter all that much, but for children--whose dreams and imagination draw strength from the wild god's power--the magic we take for granted in the real world is in danger of being lost forever.

Such is the life of a now grown-up Michael Darling.

Michael returned from Neverland with the dream of continuing his adventuring ways by joining the Knights of the Round, an organization built to keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats.. But after a mission gone terribly wrong, he vowed to leave behind the Knights and finally live as a "civilian," finding order and simplicity as a train engineer, the tracks and schedule tables a far cry from the chaos of his youth.

He hasn't entered the narrative in years. So what could they need from him now?

Maponos--or how he's better known, Peter Pan--has gone missing, and Neverland is now on the edge of oblivion. Michael realizes he has no choice and agrees to one last mission. Alongside the young Knight Vanessa and some old friends, Michael embarks on the ultimate adventure: a journey to a fantasy world to save a god. Determined to stop evil, fight for Neverland, and find Maponos, will Michael be able to save the magical and physical world? Or will his biggest fear come true?

The clock is ticking, and in Neverland, that's never a good sign.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sundays

   

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally 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!

Koré’s life is consumed by power, politics, sex, and vengeance, and as a courtesan to the wealthy and powerful, he is privy to all manner of secrets. He knows meddling in politics is dangerous ─ still, he is willing to risk everything to stop his father from seizing the imperial throne of the War District. But Koré soon finds the corruption runs far deeper than just one man.

During a tryst in an ancient tomb ─ in the pursuit of political influence ─ Koré encounters a dying god, who imbues him with the powers of one of the city’s sacred dragons. Suddenly Koré finds himself a hunted man, threatened with becoming a pawn by whoever finds him first.

If the wrong person discovers his secret and lays claim to his powers they would plunge their world into war, unleash untold horrors and destroy the city and the two people he has come to love. 

HAPPY READING!!

Come Closer - Review

Author: Sara Gran

Genre: Novella / Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 168

I snagged this book up from the library a few weeks ago when the cover caught my eye, and the plot sounded interesting. Possession horror isn't something I read a lot of, so I added it to my pile. Jumping into this I wasn't really sure what I was expecting. Everyone comes at the idea of being possessed on their own, but Come Closer did it in a way I've never seen before. This was almost like a slow burn possession told from Amanda's, our main character, point of view after everything has happened.

So from the start you know Amanda is possessed. From the outside, Amanda and her husband Ed have the picture-perfect life: good jobs, a cute house, and they truly love each other. But, there are cracks that our demon slips through to get Amanda what it wants.

What I really liked about Come Closer was how not scary it was. Because you already know it's going too bad, we already know she's been possessed. What got me about this book was how rational it was. How easy all the little things that were happening were to write off as stress, sickness, or just bad luck. Our minds quickly go to the simplest answers because we think we know ourselves, and we trust certain kinds of people to help us.

The other thing that sort of pushed me off-kilter was after I finished reading it I really only had one question. Was she really possessed? I don't know deny that Amanda did all these things, but was it really because of a demon. One she's kind of been since she was a little girl, or was it something else. Was it a mental illness? Could Ed, Amanda's coworkers, her doctor any of these people have done more? Could these so-called spiritual healers have done more?

While this book didn't scare me, it definitely had my attention. I devoured it one night, not wanting to put it down. I wanted to know what happened to Amanda. How far she would go before the demon had complete control? Did she manage to beat it? 

Come Closer is written beautifully in a tragic and sad sort of way. It definitely screwed with my head and kept me turning the pages. I'm glad I pulled this one off the library shelf on a whim, and I'll definitely pick up another of Sara Gran's books.

HAPPY READING!!

Anoka - Review

Author: Shane Hawk

Genre: Shorty Stories

Format: Paperback

Pages: 140

This is one hundred percent a Bookstagram made me read it to book. It was one of those things where I saw it once, and then randomly one day it was all over my dash. So I figured I'd give it a shot. The stories in Anoka start off pretty tame but each story builds in creep and weird factors as you go. My four-star rating is based on all six stories. While not all of them creeped me out, they were well written and weird in their own right. I enjoyed all six stories and Shane Hawk is an author I'd read more books from. 

Soilborne - This was my favorite of all six stories, as well as the shortest. In just a few pages Shane Hawk gives the full heartbreaking story of this family's struggle and then creeps us right out. (4 Stars)

Wounded- This was probably my least favorite story. It's not that I didn't enjoy the story, I thought it had real potential. I'm always down for a creepy book you should never read from. Especially one that is like the one in Wounded. My biggest issue with this one was that I wanted the story to be longer. I wanted to see just how dangerous the book could be, I wanted it to get weirder and darker. (3 Stars)

Orange - This is the saddest story in the book. It's also a pretty short story, but in those few pages, Shane Hawk puts so much emotion into those pages. It personally left me with a lot of mixed feelings because one hand this guy made a lot of bad choices, but on the other, it sort of felt like those choices weren't really made by him. I think it takes a huge talent to pull all those emotions out in just a handful of pages. (4 Stars)

Imitate - Creepy children always give me the shivers. For me personally, this is probably the second creepiest story in the book. But, it's probably the one I loved the most. Doppelgangers, changelings, etc those sort of things for me are creepy, and the struggle for which one is which. To be the only one who notices something is different. Hands down my favorite of the six stories. (5 Stars)

Dead America - This was a whole bunch of nope for me but in the best creepy way possible. Spiders are on those things in real life, and in horror, I hate. And, this story hit all the reasons why I hate them, every single thing that makes me cringe. I sat on my couch and gagged in places because I could not. All that being said, it's also a really good story, and loved the sort of lesson that was weaved into the nightmares. (5 Stars)

Transfigured - I really liked the non-binary take on our main character's transformation into a wolf. The opening scene on this one was really good with the wolf hunting. While this was a great little shot at this person's life as a wolf, it's another that I would have loved to get more of. The cliffhanger was awesome, but I would have loved to see they handled the deer hunter. (4 Stars)

I'm so glad I decided to give in to peer pressure on this one! I really enjoyed this book, and will be on the lookout for me Shane Hawk's writings!

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.

Whenever Molly Southbourne bled, a murderer was born. Deadly copies, drawn to destroy their creator, bound by a legacy of death. With the original Molly Southbourne gone, her remnants drew together, seeking safety and a chance for peace. The last Molly and her sisters built a home together, and thought they could escape the murder that marked their past.

But secrets squirm in Molly Southbourne's blood--secrets born in a Soviet lab and carried back across the Iron Curtain to infiltrate the West. What remains of the Cold War spy machine wants those secrets back, and to get them they're willing to unearth the dead and destroy the fragile peace surrounding the last copies of Molly Southbourne.

The Legacy of Molly Southbourne brings the story to a bloody end.

Why I'm Waiting: I love this series and I'm excited to see how it'll end!

HAPPY READING!!