HAPPY HALLOWEEN

It's the spookiest day of all! Going to start today off with some spooky reads and then move on to spooky movies, and probably eat way too many snacks. Just the usual setup for my Halloween! Personally, I think it's a pretty solid plan. There will probably be pizza involved because that's the perfect movie food in my opinion. As for snacks I plan on eating my weight in sour patch kids. So many sour patch kids.

Whatever the rest of ya'll do today. I hope you have fun, stay safe, and maybe get the crap scared of you just a little bit!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

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!

Who knew fighting for a living wage could be so deadly? Bernie Sanders and his Gen Z intern are drawn into a murder investigation in a small Vermont town in this hilarious spin on cozy mysteries from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery

Fall is bursting out all over Vermont, and while the rest of the Congress enjoys its recess, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his beloved home state for a weekend of events in Eagle Creek, “America’s #1 Leaf Peeping Destination.” It’s up to intern and Eagle Creek native Crash Robertson to keep the senator on schedule—and out of trouble.

Crash’s hopes for a quiet homecoming are dashed, however, when the lifeless body of a community banker with ties to “Big Maple” is found in Lake Champlain. While the sheriff’s department closes the case as an accident, a leaked autopsy indicates foul play…with a trail of syrup leading directly to one of the senator’s oldest friends. Bernie, taking a page from the cozy mysteries he’s addicted to, enlists Crash in a quest to uncover the killer’s true identity.

If Crash allows the senator to go too far off-script, it will be the end of her yet-to-begin political career. But as the suspect list grows to include a tech bro set on “disrupting” the maple syrup industry, struggling small-business owners, and even Crash’s own family, she realizes there’s more on the line than her own future. If the unlikely duo can’t solve the mystery of the Maple Murderer before they strike again, Bernie’s life-long fight for justice may come to an unplanned end.

HAPPY READING!!

What Moves the Dead - Review

Author: T. Kingfisher

Genre: Novella / Horror

Format: Hardback

Pages: 176

Well, know that's a new fear unlocked. I already have a weird allergy to mushrooms. Now that combined with this book is like a whole new fear I didn't know that I had. And, I don't if it's the mushroom part that freaks me out, or the side effect, or like the talking thing. You know what, it's all of the above. Then entire combination of everything in this book just absolutely now, and now my dreams have been weird. And, I want to be upset but this is why I read this book. To have an actual reaction to the sorry, and once again one of Kingfisher's books messed me up. Just like I knew it was going to.

For the record, I've started Twisted Ones twice, and just the alien creature vibes screw with my soul so much I've never been able to finish it. I have many, many reasons for this, and if you want to hear about them. Drop me a line in the comment section. But now, onto the review.

Despite everything said above, I loved this book. Literal decades have passed since I read Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe. I was in high school, and all I remember is the bare bones of the story. I also remember there being some weird creepy vibe between the siblings so huge thanks for that subtext not happening in this story. But! That being said, I really didn't need to remember more than the bare bones because Kingfisher took that story and made it her own.

Easton as the narrator was amazing because instantly I liked kan. There are few things better than when the narrator whose telling the story has no idea what was going on. But, you have to give it to Easton, kan never stopped trying to help, trying to solve the mystery of what was happening to the Ushers. Seeing the story through Easton's eyes is what gets your heart rate up as read. Once the story picks up the pace and everything starts to fall apart. That's when this story gets hard to put down. Because Easton has a theory, you as the reader have a similar theory, and now you have to know. 

How is the house going to burn?

Now if you've made it this far in the review, you'll notice that the last chapter was a little different. That's because the use of pronouns in What Moves the Dead is a little different from the world that Kingfisher created. Ka and kan are used in place of they and them, and Kingfisher even goes into a bit of a fictional history lesson about more pronouns from Easton's homeland. I thought it was really cool how that little bit of fan fact from Easton later tied into the creepiness of the book. But, it was a solid and interesting way of weaving nonbinary language into the storyline. And, hopefully, I did them justice above.

The other thing I need to mention, and I love this about books, is I put this book down when I got hyper-focused on another book I was reading. When I came back to What Moves the Dead I was able to pick the story back up like I hadn't put it down at all. That's how well this story flows because I about a week had passed since I last picked it up. And, for context I"d finished two books and worked an almost fifty-hour week between readings. So that's a huge plus for me.

I need to pick up more books by T. Kingfisher. Maybe even try to give The Twisted Ones another go and just accept the fact I'll sleep with the lamp on for a few nights.

HAPPY READING!!

National Frankenstein Friday

Okay, so I don't think is an official holiday, and I know that there is another Frankenstein day on August 30th for Mary Shelley's birthday. But, I love the idea of the last Friday of October being another day to celebrate the book, Frankenstein. My first time reading this book was back in elementary school. The library I spent my summers in had these abridged versions of the old classics. It's where I found my love for classics, but Frankenstein has always been one of my favorites. Probably because I've always had a love for the mad scientist sub-genre of science fiction. 

It wasn't until high school that I read the full version of Mary Shelley's famous book or learned anything about its author. A history that made me fall in love with the stories even more. I don't know how many times I've read the book, but as odd as it may sound, it's one of my comfort books. In fact, a friend of mine of the current copy I have after I trashed another paperback a few years ago, and I'm so in love with the cover and the binding. It's absolutely gorgeous. 

Flash forward to college and I finally got introduced to Boris Karloff's movie version of Frankenstein, and it's still my favorite adaptation of the book. However, however, the stage version with Benedict Cumberbatch and the other Sherlock Holmes was really good. And, of course, Frankenweenie can not go without a mention. That is a Spooky Season must-watch in my house.

So yeah, I've watched a lot of the good, and the very bad, adaptations of Frankenstein, and I'll continue to do so because honestly, all the classic monsters stories are my favorite. But there is something about watching Adam come to life and Shelley's writing that I've always loved. 

Also, as I'm writing this I realize I haven't read this book for a couple of years. I should probably do a re-read soon! But, drop me a comment and tell me your favorite Frankenstein movie, re-telling, or TV show!!

HAPPY READING!!

Cryptid Creatures: A Field Guide - Review

 

Author: Kelly Milner Halls

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

This was one of those books where it popped on my Amazon as something their algorithm thought I'd enjoy. And, it wasn't wrong. I've loved cryptid stories for a long time. Whether it's something completely out there that probably doesn't actually exist to those that have actually been proven as real at some point. So this sat on my Wishlist for a bit, until I finally added it to a purchase because I always end up doing that.

Since then it's done what so many books have done, sat on my shelf. But, I read the United States of Cryptids earlier this year. Followed by a book about the Mothman, and now during Spooky Season I figured, there wasn't a better time.

It actually proved a great idea. This was absolutely adorable, and the perfect way to unwind after two long work weeks. Cryptid Creatures covers the whole globe with stories of monsters and creatures alike. Each new creature (or monster) gets a factoid and a small story about sighting, discoveries, and how it was brought into the public light.

What I loved the most about this book was the mix of creatures that definitely don't exist, but have a fantastic story behind them, to have creatures science has proven to do, or did at one point, exist. So, there is that nice mix of fantasy with my science. And, fear because I have a healthy fear of the ocean. It is big, mostly unexplored, and full of things that could, and probably would eat me.

Anyway, not only is this book jammed packed with fun information about all these creatures but it's illustrated as well. I'm not just talking that each creature gets an illustration because they do. But we get a look at their skull, occasionally the teeth they could eat me with, but also what a baby one would like. A couple was absolutely terrifying both big and small.

But, baby Mothman was adorable! Like kind of want to make it into a tattoo, adorable! 

That kind of ties into my next positive about this book. It's a book for all ages. I don't think there was anything too scary, but it would be easy to skip some of the creatures your young reader wasn't ready for. But also learn about some news from other parts of the world.

I thought it was cute and an enjoyable read. I read it over the course of a week after work before bed. Which was a great way to unwind from my day. Though I'd love to thank this author for unlocking a new fear for me. Could have gone my whole life without knowing the phrase Drop Bear...

Thanks for that.

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.

Welcome to the reality game show that'll scare you to death! Have you got what it takes to last the night?

On the reality show It's Behind You!, five contestants competing for prize money must survive the night in the dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, rumored to be haunted by the Puckered Maiden, a ghost who eats the hearts of her victims. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear, or each other?

As the production crew ramps up the frights, tensions rise and the secrets of the cast member start coming to light. Each of these teenagers has hidden motives for taking part in the show. But could one of them be murder?

Why I'm Waiting: Cause this sounds like it might freak me right out!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

This celebration of forgotten magical women, from Salem to WitchTok, is a fascinating and empowering read for anyone interested in occultism or feminist history.

Meet the mystical women and nonbinary people from US history who found strength through the supernatural—and those who are still forging the way today. From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to contemporary activist witches hexing the patriarchy, women have long used magic and mysticism to seize the power they’re so often denied.

Organized around different approaches women have taken to the occult over the decades—using the supernatural for political gain, seeking fame and fortune as spiritual practitioners, embracing their witchy identities, and more—this book shines a light on underappreciated magical pioneers, including:

• Dion Fortune, who tried to marshal a magical army against Hitler
• Bri Luna, the Hoodwitch, social media star and serious magical practitioner
• Joan Quigley, personal psychic to Nancy Reagan
• Marie Laveau, voodoo queen of New Orleans
• Elvira, queer goth sex symbol who defied the Satanic Panic
• And many more!

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!

Grayson Hale, the most infamous murderer in Scotland, is better known by a different name: the Devil’s Advocate. The twenty-five-year-old American grad student rose to instant notoriety when he confessed to the slaughter of his classmate Liam Stewart, claiming the Devil made him do it.

When Hale is found hanged in his prison cell, officers uncover a handwritten manuscript that promises to answer the question that’s haunted the nation for years: was Hale a lunatic, or had he been telling the truth all along?

Unnervingly, Hale doesn’t fit the bill of a killer. The first-person narrative that centers this novel reveals an acerbic young atheist, newly enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to carry on the legacy of his recently deceased father. In need of cash, he takes a job ghostwriting a mysterious book for a dark stranger but has misgivings when the project begins to reawaken his satanophobia, a rare condition that causes him to live in terror that the Devil is after him. As he struggles to disentangle fact from fear, Grayson’s world is turned upside-down after events force him to confront his growing suspicion that he’s working for the one he has feared all this time—and that the book is only the beginning of their partnership.​​

A History of Fear is a propulsive foray into the darkness of the human psyche, marrying a dread-inducing atmosphere and heart-palpitating storytelling.

HAPPY READING!!

The Icepick Surgeon - Review

 

Author: Sam Kean

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 12 hours

Sam Kean's books have been on my TBR for a very long time. So it's a good thing that books don't expire! Because I would have been disappointed if these books slipped through my fingers.

Now, I'm always a little nervous to pick up a new author. Especially ones where they sound right up my alley, and even more so with nonfiction. I don't want it to feel like I'm reading a textbook, or not like the author's writing style. Or, in this book's case, the narrator.

Thankfully I had nothing to worry about The Icepick Surgeon. Not only did I enjoy the way Kean wrote this book, but I enjoyed the narrator, Ben Sullivan. There was something kind of soothing about his voice. It was perfect for while I was opening at my job, or doing household chores. 

Sullivan's voice had a way of keeping my attention while not feeling like I was being talked at. Which, might also speak to how well Kean wrote this book. It doesn't feel like a textbook, or like I'm thrown information left and right. Kean weaves these little histories so well that there's never really a dull moment.

And, there's so much research that went into this whole book. Because there is a lot of information in each chapter, but I never got bored. Maybe because some of these things were so horrible that they kept my attention. Maybe because when I thought it couldn't possibly get worse, in some cases it does. But, Kean has weaved all this information, dates, people, and horrid deeds in a way that I managed to keep up.

I even managed to take set this book aside while I was as sick, a little halfway through, and I was able to pick it right back when I was on the mend. All the information just came back to me as Sullivan started talking. 

A plus, because I've never had a great memory. So that's how I know this book had my full attention even at work.

My only sort of hang-up with this book is a personal one. I wasn't sure why there was a conclusion and an appendix. The last part personally felt like too much. I had to back up and start it three different times before I just gave up and called the book done.

I don't know, I felt like it could have just been added to the conclusion without the addition of the fraud case and it would have been fine. Something about that last few minutes that I was like, why aren't we don't yet?

But, despite that one thing I'll be picking up another of Sam Kean's books!

HAPPY READING!!

Young Adult Horror Favorites

Not another throwback favorites that absolutely no one asked for! That's right, another one. Because when I saw I love all things spooky, I mean it. Once I hit middle school I was spending summers with my Great Grandparents, helping them with this and that. And, they lived not far from the local library. It was then I discovered Christopher Pike books and the tie-in novels to Buffy the Vampire Slayter. I also read the few Fear Street books my library had.

I was also starting to watch scary movies for the first time. A lot of Wes Craven, who is still one of my favorite directors. Though I love those movies for a whole different reason now as an adult.

The same can be said about the Young Adult horror. Not just from the 90s either. Though, the old-school books hit a little different the one's published in the last few years. Though I love them both. 

I love how the Young Adult Horror as shifted through the years. Yes as an adult it's perfictable and occasionally way into the left field on what is probable. But that's what I like about it. There are spooky moments, jumps scares, but as a whole it's pretty time. It makes a nice change from some of the more intense books in Adult Horror. 

The old school 80's and 90's (I don't think  I've read anything older than the 80's), I enjoy for just how weird they get. Some have ages fairly well. Some have defintely not, but they always fun to read. Though some of the ones from the 90's get a little more graphic than Middle School me remembers. 

Though, my favorite Christopher Pike book (Die Softly) has a pretty intense ending. I'm not sure it would be allowed today in Young Adult. Either way, these books hold a special place for me, and I love that I get a chance to collect them as a adult. A way to sort of remember those summers with the Great Grandparetns.

HAPPY READING!!

Vintage Hallowe'en Party Book - Review

Author: Robert Pandis

Genre: Cookbook

Format: Hardback

Pages: 184

Every once in a while I found a gem of a book thanks to Instagram. I follow a book museum in California (Mystic Museum), and it's on my bucket list to visit if I'm ever in Burbank. A couple of weeks ago this popped up on their page. Sadly I missed my chance to get one, but luckily demand was so high they got more copies in.

And, I got one!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. And, I love the old vintage decorations. Plus, I love old cookbooks. Because there are always some gems hidden underneath all the questionable recipes.

This was an absolute delight. Not only is it filled with some recipes I plan on trying. It's also filled with some that should have stayed in the past, but they were fun to read about. My roommate's face when I read some aloud was hilarious. Because if I have to know about them, she does too.

There were also some fun party ideas including some old-school costumes. I was especially fond of the crepe paper dresses. Some of them were really cute. The centerpieces were also super cute and creative. Some of the games sounded interesting,  but others didn't age so well. I did like the idea of instead of bobbing for apples, just dangling them from the ceiling. While this makes it harder, it's less of a mess all around.

All around this was a fun and quick read that I enjoyed. I'm really glad I managed to snag a copy. It makes a great Halloween coffee table book, a great conversation starter, and it'll make a great addition to our Halloween mantlepiece.

This is also filled with great photos from Halloween past. So you can get a visual on some of the amazing table set-ups, old school costumes, some of the food, and some super creepy, but awesome, Halloween decorations!

The downside is these are a limited printing. So if you love Halloween and this is your jam, the author has a page on Amazon where there are still copies available!

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 sinister novel based on the real Bloody Benders, a family of serial killers in the old Westbound by butchery and obscured by the shadows of American history.

The winds shift nervously on the Kansas plain whispering of travelers lost and buried, whispering of witches. Something dark and twisted has taken root at the Bender Inn.

At first the townspeople of Cherryvale welcome the rising medium Kate Bender and her family. Kate's messages from the Beyond give their tedious dreams hope and her mother's potions cure their little ills—for a price. No one knows about their other business, the shortcut to a better life. And why shouldn’t their family prosper? They’re careful. It’s only from those who are marked, those who travel alone and can easily disappear, that the Benders demand their pound of flesh.

But even a gifted seer like Kate can make a misstep. Now as the secrets festering beneath the soil of the family orchard threaten to bring them all to ruin, the Benders must sharpen their craft—or vanish themselves.

Why I'm Waiting: I grew up in Southeast Kansas not far from where the Bender farm was located, so I'm a little obsessed.

HAPPY READING!!

Something is Killing the Children Vol 5

Erica Slaughter strikes out on her own in the bestselling, award-winning series!

After a year since we last saw her in Archer’s Peak, Erica Slaughter resurfaces to take on the case of a girl who’s seen a new kind of monster, one with terrifying implications. But Erica’s broken ties with the House of Slaughter and can have deadly consequences. The Order of St. George does not forget nor do they forgive. Even as Erica goes on the hunt, she must keep an eye out for the mysterious figure on her trail in order to survive the coming storm. Erica Slaughter returns after the Archer’s Peak Saga in this volume of the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated series from GLAAD Award-winning author James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman), artist Werther Dell’Edera (Razorblades), colorist Miquel Muerto (Bleed Them Dry), and letterer AndWorld Design (Nightwing).

Collecting Something is Killing the Children #21-25.

HAPPY READING!!

Book Mail

This was the best weekend for book mail! Not only was it a Night Worms weekend, which is one of my favorite parts of each month. Mostly because I get so busy with other things I forget which books are coming. One day that will bite in the backside when I double buy a book, but so far it's just a fun little surprise when I open those packages.

But, I got two other book packages this weekend. Once was a vintage Halloween cookbook I bought from the Mystic Museum out of California. I saw the book on their Instagram a few weekends ago and I was sad I missed them. But, they were amazing, and due to high demand did the second go of them, and I snagged one. I've only had time to flip through because work was so crazy. But, it's adorable and I can't wait to sit down and give it my full attention!

Lastly, Quirk Books surprised me and send me an early copy of Toil and Trouble by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson! This sounds like a really fun and interesting read. I'm hoping to get it as soon as I wrap up my current reads (I've started so many this weekend and finished none). 

Four new books have joined my TBR which is getting so much closer to just toppling over on me and crushing me. But I adore everything that just came in, and the goodie bag through Night Worms was so good this week. I loved the hot beverage, Bones is one of my favorite coffee companies!

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!

A ghost-hunting reality TV crew gains unprecedented access to an abandoned and supposedly haunted mansion, which promises a groundbreaking thirteenth episode, but as they uncover the secret history of the house, they learn that “reality” TV might be all too real — in Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Craig DiLouie's latest heart-pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense.

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost-hunting reality TV show. It’s led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin and features a dedicated crew of ghost-hunting experts.
 
Episode Thirteen takes them to Matt's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This crumbling, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about the bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also haunted, and Matt hopes to use their scientific techniques and high-tech gear to prove it. 

But, as the house begins to slowly reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. 
  
A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, correspondence, and research files, this is the story of Episode Thirteen — and how everything went horribly wrong. 

HAPPY READING!!

Hanging with Vampires - Review

Author: Insha Fitzpatrick

Genre: Humor/Nonfiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 124

A huge thank you to Quirk Books for sending me an early copy of Hanging with Vampires for my honest review! 

This was absolutely adorable! I enjoyed every single second of this book. Vampires have been my favorite creatures. I would say I spent a hunk of my youth obsessed with vampires. Mostly because I grew up in the age of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but also because they're cool. 

And, while this book does have a few throwbacks to my childhood love of vampires. It also mentions a few of my adult love of vampires. It was only the smallest nod to Henry Sturges, but I saw it and I loved it.

For me, the best thing about Hanging with Vampires is just how much fun Insha Fitzpatrick seemed to have to put this book together. Yes, it is jammed packed with vampire facts, history, lore, and stories. But it's also filled with jokes, personal comments, and joy. The author had fine writing this book and you can tell throughout the pages.

The next thing I enjoyed was how Fitzpatrick touches on more than just the European lore. Vampire lore is found throughout the world in different degrees, and I loved that so many of those different versions got touched on inside Hanging with Vampires.

I also really enjoyed the breaks between chapters with the interviews of not only the most famous vampire but the father of the vampire story as well. Those were a fun way to tell a bit of vampire history. There are interactive pages as well. I knew so many of those vampire books! I also will bust out the spooky story builder as part of our Halloween fun this month!

And, I will be trying that garlic bread. I have the perfect red sauce recipe to go along with it.

Hanging with Vampires is a must-have for vampire fans of all ages. It was a lot of fun and I read quite a bit out loud to my roommate. I cannot wait to see the final copy and see all the artwork that filled the pages. If you have vampire lovers in your life, this book is something they definitely need to read!

Hanging with Vampires will be released on March 28, 2023!

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.

When a girl disappears, who do you suspect?

When 17-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, he's shocked to learn he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, have been in a terrible car accident. Hunter has no memory of the crash, and his shock turns to horror when he is told Chloe's blood has been found in the car―but she has disappeared.

Back at school, his fellow students taunt him, and his former best friend starts making a true-crime documentary about the case―one that points the finger directly at Hunter. And just when things can't get any worse, Chloe's mother stands in front of the entire town at a candlelight vigil and accuses Hunter of murder.

Under mounting pressure from the police, Hunter takes matters into his own hands by questioning anyone who might know the truth and posting videos to prove his innocence. When Hunter learns he and Chloe were seen arguing loudly outside the dance, he faces a sickening possibility. Was he angry enough to kill the person he loved?

Why I'm Waiting: Well this seems like a book I start and don't finish until I've read it all in one go.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker not only uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures but investigates the ways in which communities have embraced and celebrated their local cryptids.

My review can be found here! More information on where to buy the United States of Cryptids 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!

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

HAPPY READING!!

Butcher's Work - Review

Author: Harold Schechter

Genre: Nonfiction / True Crime

Format: eBook

Pages: 256

Huge thanks to NetGalley for an early look at Butcher's Work!

This is my second book by Harold Schecter, and I will say I wasn't disappointed. Though the last book I read by him was devasting, it was so well written and researched that I jumped at the chance to read his next book. Butcher's Work follows the same pattern, only less heartbreaking.

While these are still tales of murder through the early part of the United States, some of these crimes were bizarre. Like the man who just kept changing his name, getting married, killing brides, or leaving them with nothing, only to repeat the process for years. Only to almost get caught, slip out of their fingers, and start all over again.

Each chapter is well-researched, and I liked that they start with a small headline crime. Something that sort of sets the scene for what the chapter is going to entail. To get your mind ready for the weirdness that is about to happen. But each chapter is jammed packed with information about the city, the victims, and about the do-er. It doesn't just focus on one element.

I will say that the chapters did run a little longer. There were places where it felt like things were drawn out, and I would lose my focus on the book. End up doing something else. Though I always come back to it in the end. Still, there were moments when I was hoping we could skip to the end.

Though, as a whole, I enjoyed reading this and I've already recommended it to people for when it gets released!

Butcher's Work will be released on October 28, 2022!

HAPPY READING!!