Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies - Review

Author: E.M. Roy

Genre: Horror

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 196

As a whole, I liked this book and its characters. In fact, at the start of this book, I was all in and fully engaged in what was going on. I wanted to know what Tate had in her little X-files notebook, about the town, and about how Leo fit into it all. My full attention was on this book. I even really liked that we were getting the story told from two different timelines. Sort of, as Leo was remembering everything that happened. I even started to have my own suspicions about what happened, even some thoughts on what supernatural stuff could be happening.

However, after a bit, I started to get distracted as I read. I still wanted to know what was happening, but as soon as the Boston detective came in, I started to lose interest. The story takes place in Maine. So why was a detective from Massachusetts getting involved? Why not the Maine State Police or the FBI since there was a missing child? In fact, a lot of missing children. 

Then for a second I got invested again, because what if Leo did it? She was acting strange and seeing things. What if in some sort of weird haze she actually had one it. But then there were weird pieces like the story about the boy she beat up. Why was he convinced her parents had killed his aunt and uncle?

So I was back to a lot of questions, and as soon as the plot was moving, BOOM, flashback, and the story took five paces back again. 

By the time I finished it, I was pretty over everything. I still don't know what the door was. I don't know why Tate had the weird vision in the woods. The reason for it felt thin. I got why the town itself had a weird vibe about Leo, but I just didn't feel satisfied with the ending wrap-up of all the supernatural stuff. Like now the town is healed, and people can leave again. Was that why Leo has weird rage issues? Did I miss the whole point of this book by zoning out while reading?

Either way, parts of this hit for me, and parts didn't. I honestly think that was one of those 'this book wasn't for me' type things. Because there were some great parts of this story and these characters. It just sort of unraveled in a lot of places for my liking. 

HAPPY READING!!

Edmonds SBC

 

A huge thank you to everyone who came out last night! I was surprised to see so many new faces!! Not to mention a much bigger than I expected with the end of summer right around the corner. To everyone who couldn't make it, I hope to see you next month!

We'll be back at Leftcraft on September 16th at 7pm!

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.

Every year, campground manager Kate sends out a pamphlet titled “How to Survive Your Camping Experience.” In it is a list of rules to help campers have an enjoyable experience and hopefully survive any encounters with the campground’s…other…inhabitants.

With the land turning ancient, it is no longer just the campers who are in danger. Kate is the key and every inhuman entity is out for her blood. All the lesser creatures are making attempts on her life, but Kate isn’t willing to let her land go without a fight. If these creatures are going to hunt her, then she’ll hunt them in turn and eradicate everything from her land that cannot coexist with humanity. With the help of both her inhuman and human allies, it looks like Kate might actually have a chance at controlling the campground. But ancient land attracts ancient things, and the town has a bad history with ancient creatures.

A new entity has come to the campground, bearing an old grudge against one of the inhabitants. Its malevolent designs will put the entire land at risk—unless Kate can stop it.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

They’re baaaaaaaaaack!

As any savvy horror fan the monster never truly dies. The team that brought you the bestselling dark fiction anthology Never Whistle at Night has risen, hungry, from the grave to summon more dark delicacies for your delectation. In these twenty-one brand-new, groundbreaking, gruesome stories—authored by both established and newly unearthed Indigenous talent—the contributors are fully embracing both supernatural horrors and the everyday horror of living under colonialist rule.  

Featuring stories of unspeakable yet satisfying terror, from twisted psychological tales to gore-filled monster hunts, this new selection of sinister stories will sate your darkest appetites and leave you slavering for more. Never Whistle at Night, Part Back for Blood is a further celebration of Indigenous survival and the enduring tradition of transforming adversity into art.

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 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! 

Every year, campground manager Kate sends out a pamphlet titled “How to Survive Your Camping Experience.” In it is a list of rules to help campers have an enjoyable experience and hopefully survive any encounters with the campground’s… other… inhabitants.

There is only one obstacle left standing between Kate and her goal to make the campground safe for everyone. The beast, an entity that has stalked her family relentlessly for generations upon generations. But while Kate searches for answers as to its origins - and how to stop it - she must also contend with the unusually aggressive frost, figure out how to fulfill her promise to the thing in the dark, and make sense of Beau's plans for her. As Kate's story draws to an epic conclusion, she will have to confront her past and right her family's wrongs if she wants to save her land from the dominion of the beast.

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.

What starts as a missing person investigation morphs into something much darker when an FBI-agent-turned-Catholic-priest and a junior constable arrive on a remote Newfoundland island

This murder-mystery-turned-nail-biting-horror is perfect for fans of religious horror like The Possession of Alba Díaz and the cult-classic movie The Wicker Man.

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness.

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual.

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry.

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave.

A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Bait doesn't remember a time before the dungeon. Before the dragon stole her from her cot. She doesn't know what her name was before she was handed over to the monstrous denizens of the dungeon beneath the sorcerer's tower. Luckily for Bait, they decided not to eat her. And so, she grew up in the dark - the goblins her adopted family, a vengeful minotaur her protector, a sentient skull her tutor and a faithful blob of corridor slime her main source of nutrition.

But the labyrinthine dungeon, with its haunted halls, buried temples and forgotten magics, draws treasure hunters like moths to flame. And as the outside world starts to intrude, Bait will learn what it means to be monstrous, and she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

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 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!

Antigone is no stranger to death.

For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog.

When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led—the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step.

Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice.

But a good death comes at a price.

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms Unboxing

August Theme: Legacies & Lullabies 

Okay, so I don't know much about either of these books, but that's one of my favorite things about Night Worms. Every once in a while, Sadie and Ashley pick books that I haven't heard of before. While Homesick sounds like something I'd enjoy, I'm not sure about We Send Them Down Singing. The latter might not be for me. However, one of my friends, who takes advantage of my Night Worms subscription, and this might be something she'll enjoy. 

The hot, or cold this time around, sounds amazing. Peach and ginger. Yum! Both stickers are adorable, and somehow I don't have an Ouji board sticker. So no, I have to find the absolulte perfect place for it. Maybe my junk journal. I don't know yet, but I do know I'm stealing some ice from work and brewing this ginger peach situation. 

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.

Jamie Newcross wants to disappear. His wife and baby girl have abandoned him, and his only wish is to retreat from society. Because, as it turns out, Jamie Newcross is also being haunted. Every house, condo, or apartment he moves into is plagued with ghosts—at the end of the bed or when pulling back the shower curtain. He hasn’t been able to sleep in weeks. 

But Jamie has a plan. He posts queries online and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion—the world’s most advanced self-driving car—a sleek, private, contained vessel that is one-hundred percent safe. Or so he thought.  

Because now, Jamie has woken up to the Lion speeding down a dark road, the hood is dented—wait, is that blood?—and the car will not respond, or stop, or let him out.  

As the miles rack up and Jamie becomes increasingly complicit in his car’s choices, he's forced to face the tragic past he has kept buried. Driven is a taut, near-future fever-dream. Mason Coile delivers another one-sitting read that blends science fiction and psychological horror to explore loneliness, grief, and the things that make us human.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

Amongst mountains as old as time, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of your worries.

Working in Human Resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the company who categorise and manage the monsters and cryptids of the world. But after her dad was killed as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy... from behind the safety of a desk.

But when one of her new Wardens, Elliot, goes missing, her chances of promotion go missing too. Determined to find him safe and sound, she marches off into the mountains to find him herself.

Because Elliot had been talking about sightings of a highly dangerous and never-recorded monster, The Hollow Walker, and she's promised herself that no Warden will ever die on her watch.

Meanwhile Nic, Director of Research and Cataloguing, is not one to ignore the words 'never-recorded'. With Alexys, his work nemesis, leading the charge into the mountains, he's not going to let her have all the fun. If he can be the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, his name will go down in the annals of cryptozoology... and if it means spending some extra time with Alexys then he's not one to argue.

But Alexys and Nic are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark.

HAPPY READING!!

August Spotlight

 

 

Amongst mountains as old as time, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of your worries.

Working in Human Resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the company who categorise and manage the monsters and cryptids of the world. But after her dad was killed as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy... from behind the safety of a desk.

But when one of her new Wardens, Elliot, goes missing, her chances of promotion go missing too. Determined to find him safe and sound, she marches off into the mountains to find him herself.

Because Elliot had been talking about sightings of a highly dangerous and never-recorded monster, The Hollow Walker, and she's promised herself that no Warden will ever die on her watch.

Meanwhile Nic, Director of Research and Cataloguing, is not one to ignore the words 'never-recorded'. With Alexys, his work nemesis, leading the charge into the mountains, he's not going to let her have all the fun. If he can be the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, his name will go down in the annals of cryptozoology... and if it means spending some extra time with Alexys then he's not one to argue.

But Alexys and Nic are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark.

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 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!

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.

HAPPY READING!!

July Wrap Up

I didn't think I'd read as many books this month as I did. Mostly because one of them I should have DNFed, but I thought surely it would get better. That was a lie; it didn't get better. Instead, it sat on almost good for like near three hundred pages. On top of that, but better news, my Ma was here for a short little visit. So there were like three days with no reading as we ran around, did things, and stuff. As it turns out, I did in fact read a crap ton of books despite how busy I got with things and stuff. How I read eight books in July, I have no idea. But I was at the pool a lot and on our patio. Guess I did more than nap!

Books Read: 8
BINGO Books: 0

Pages Read: 1714

Nothing. Nada. No BINGOs.

I did the Summer Slasher Readathon this last week. Read a bonus book and finished one and a half off the TBR I had planned. Considering I worked most of the readathon, not too bad. Though the two physical books I have left, I think I'll keep as my August TBR. 

HAPPY READING!!