Happy Halloween!

 

It's my favorite time of the year! I hope everyone has an absolutely lovely and safe Halloween. May you only receive treats, instead of tricks! And it's filled with only the correct amount of spooky. I'll be passing out candy at work to our block party! Then I'm off to watch Halloween on the big screen for the very first time! And then maybe a few spooky movies after! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Episode 13 - Review

Author: Craig DiLouie

Genre:  Horror

Format: Paperback

This one has been on my physical TBR for ages. In fact, I've started it a couple of times, only to put it away a few pages in. Sometimes it's just not the right time for certain books. On one hand, I'm glad I waited for this book because I did like it. On the other hand, I don't think it needed to be this long. There are whole sections that I just didn't care about, and parts where there would have been brilliant tension. Only to be shafted. So really, this was a mixed bag for me. 

Let's get one thing super clear. This book is said to be like The Haunting of Hill House; that is incorrect. It's with a ghost that has more than one timeline involved. It is nothing like Hill House at all. At no point while reading this book was a I scared, or was jumped scared, or worried, or anything of things that Haunting of Hill House made me. This is the book that you yell at the whole time. I was constantly, out loud, asking Why are we going back into the house. Why are we going down the creepy well? All of us have seen Scooby-Doo: stop splitting up!

That is the type of book this is. Listen, I get it, there's a mystery, and I'm nosey. I would totally want to go through those files. I'll tell you what, though. I wouldn't wait two hundred pages for things to go flying around the room to read them. Also, it's totally cool you have Claire, the skeptic who thinks ghosts are dumb and defy science; therefore, they can't be real. We all need one of those people in our lives. We do. However! There was science in that room, woman! SCIENCE! And I'm meant to believe she's gonna wait until a near-death experience to actually look at it.

Cool. Cool. Cool.

Now, I totally get it, you are all crazy, and you wanted to know what the actual hell is going on. So you go down the creepy well. Fine. FINE! But there were a handful of missed moments here. Like the people who where suppose to come help them back out of the well. Why didn't we get their point of view? Just a few pages of them trying to find all the missing people. Because all their stuff is still there. One of them is a single mother. Like, I have many questions.

The ending was fine with what was 'causing' the haunting. It gets four stars from me for the very end of the book. I really loved the open ending and how they got some of the information. It definitely wins points for me there. But as a whole, I've read better epistolary novels about haunted houses and weird time zones. What I will say though was I did like the writing style of this book. So I'll definitely give Craig DiLouie another try. But this one was just okay. I liked it, but not as good as I wanted it to be.

   HAPPY READING!!

October Book Haul

Okay, okay, okay. First, I only get to go shopping with my Mim once a year. Also! I always find treasures when I go to her local bookstore. They are a gently used bookstore, and I always find something amazing. This year it was the Twilight Zone: The Movie book and my Murder She Wrote novel. So there's that, first of all. Second of all, Night Worms happens every month. So, there's that.

Lastly, I went to Goodwill to see if there were any Halloween treasures. Because you never know. Sometimes I find some winners. I didn't find anything Halloween to take home; it did seem like someone's Nana downsized their house. Because I found the motherlode of Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote novels. Honestly, I could have taken the whole lot. I didn't, but I could have. What I did was pick the one Jessica Fletcher novel I wanted to read, and take all the Hercule Poirot novels. He's my favorite, and I own so very few of his novels.

So it's a lot of books. But one of them was on my TBR already, and one isn't for reading. I just don't know how I'm going to display the Twilight Zone Book yet. The rest, well, my TBR was always going to outlive me. But I do have so many cozy mysteries to read during the dark months. 

HAPPY READING!!

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!!

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!

Long live the Faire! If you can survive it…

For Chloe, the Southwest Renaissance Faire is home. It's where she performs with her folk-punk band, Chloe and the Well Met, where she feels closest to her late mother, and where she imagines a life on the road, far from the rules of ordinary life.

Until a fateful final joust, when a staged fight turns real—and someone dies.

One year later, the Faire returns under new corporate ownership, bigger and more profitable than ever. Chloe's band lands a coveted spot on the main stage, but the magic feels thinner, the stakes higher. Beloved performers have vanished and longtime traditions have been gutted. Then a masked figure begins stalking the grounds, turning spectacle into something far more dangerous. Weapons meant for show draw real blood, and no one can tell where performance ends and violence begins.

As fear spreads and her community begins to fracture, Chloe must confront what's being lost—and what's worth fighting for.

Because this time, the Faire isn't just an escape.

It's a trap.

HAPPY READING!!

Vacation Time

 

Final big trip of 2026! I'm off to celebrate my Grandad turning 80! Which is a long time be doing anything, let's be honest. The rest of the time I plan on unplugging and reading and taking up space in my parents' house. Key phrase there is unplugging. Not being so on my socials. 

This also means no Book Club next Tuesday! More information on my Instagram about that!

I think I'm taking enough to read for 4 days... Still, I did pack my Kindle. You know, just in case.  

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.

Three years have passed since the undead killer known as the Hungry Hare massacred the counselors at Camp Summer Fun. Each night, Sheriff Tom Bailey stands guard, ever watchful for its return.
 
As winter blows across the High Plains, most are ready to move on from the tragedy and enjoy the holidays. But then the night once again fills with screams. A family slaughtered in their home. A crime scene that looks horrifyingly familiar.
 
And the killings have only begun…
 
Tom will need every ally he can call on to fight the Hare—most important of all Deputy Laura Turner, Summer Fun’s only survivor. Together, Sheriff and Final Girl must find a way to destroy the monster haunting Cross County.
 
Because the Hungry Hare is coming to exact final vengeance on the town that made it. This time, it wants them all…

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

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!!

Cover Runway Sundays

    

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!

It wasn't easy for Angela Bell growing up on Possession island, the remote Pacific Northwest setting of her late mother's wildly popular vampire novel. When she returns home from college and her estranged best friend, Mo, is murdered, she's forced to reckon with yet another loss—and finds herself in the crosshairs of the bungled police investigation.

Sally Raleigh has longed to leave the island for years, but she's trapped by her father's declining health and her devotion to her charismatic twin brother Adrian. The last thing she needs is her high-school nemesis Angela back in town. But Sally is also devastated by Mo's death, and finds herself forging an unlikely alliance with her former enemy to find Mo's killer.

As Angie and Sally delve deeper into the island's sinister underbelly, they must confront just how far they're willing to go to protect the people they love. And they'll soon find that the secrets they've been keeping from each other won't stay buried for long...

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

I grew up in the Middle of the USA. So I've been around a cicada or two in my time. In fact, I've been informed that we had a dog that used to carry them around for fun. So I can think of a dozen different ways that these could be creepy and unsettling. Which meant I put this book on hold the minute I saw one of the libraries I use was getting it. The downside is it came as a PDF file, or a non-Kindle version. That means I can only read it on my phone. Normally, that doesn't work for me, but I had a trip ahead that was going to lead to a lot of standing in line. So I thought maybe it was perfect. When I say I couldn't put this down. I started it in line at Hollywood Horror Nights, reading it all night while in line. Read it back at the hotel until I fell asleep, and the read it randomly throughout the next day. I loved this, I loved this ending, and I love how everyone got exactly what they deserved! From the start, you know what's about to happen, but it's all the little stuff in between that keeps you reading. It's got some great jump scares, some really gross parts, but there's this sense of terror throughout the whole book thanks to the main character, which just pulled me in. I was rooting for her the whole book.

I snagged this as something quick to read on the plane/airport because I like other Legends and Lattes. So I figured I would like that. And it was a lot of fun! I love that we get dropped into the middle of the mystery. The monk has already died, Miss Gentle has been summoned, and there is a cat. We learn things about the world, people, and circumstances as the story unfolds, and it's amazing what Travis Baldree managed in under fifty pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it was the perfect little quick read I needed to kick off my little vacation last month!

When I originally read this, I had no idea what was going on. I mean, I kind of knew what was going on. Fawkes is a creeping creeper, and I hope at some point, Lewllyn gets a hold of it. But there's this whole side plot toward the end that I couldn't figure out what was going on. What was the point of all this? There's only one book left; why are we adding things now?! Only a couple of days later, all the puzzle pieces came together, or at least I think they came together. And things from the first couple of books came back to me. Maybe, just maybe, I actually do know what's going on, and I think I might know who Lewellyn actually is. Or adjacent to, maybe. I have theories and thoughts, and I cannot wait for my library to get volume 6 in. Because now I have to know how much I figured out.  

HAPPY READING!!