Welcome to Litsy!

An interesting story/book

Library book 📖

3.75/5

#12Booksof2023 I didn‘t have time to post yesterday.
#January favorite was Near the Bone by Christina Henry
#February favorite was Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger

A couple living secluded on a mountain side find evidence of a large creature stalking nearby. Bringing fears of the animal itself, and of the attention it will bring to their quiet area. Creature horror/Domestic horror. I liked the parts with the monster, they were suspenseful and foreboding. The couple made me very unsettled, as I think their dynamic is very realistic one. Look up trigger warnings if you need to.

So dark and atmospheric, perfect for this time of year to give you the chills!

My vacation read. Part kidnapping story, part monster horror, it starts off strong but the dialogue grows annoyingly unrealistic and the plot holes are abundant.

#StoryGraph: HORROR thriller dark
336 pages • first pub 2021 • 4 Stars

A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel.

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

I had a few 5⭐️ reads in February, but the one that has stuck with me is Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger.
Near the Bone by Christina Henry is still my favorite of the year so far.

My favorite read of January was tagged. I‘m still think about this dark atmospheric horror. A perfect creepy winter read. #2023ReadingBracket

Thanks to @chasjjlee for the cool graphic!

A genuinely scary thriller/horror story, with a mysterious abused woman and mysterious creature in the woods. The question is who is the real monster in the story? It is best to know very little going into the story, but note strong content of abuse (not a spoiler as it happens within the first chapter). A genuine page turner that I finished in one day. 5⭐️
#bookspinbingo - bingo!
#JoyousJanuary
#NoShameReadathon2023 Lovecraftian horror

#JanuaryJazz
7. Snowed in

Near The Bone by Christina Henry is a good winter read. It‘s a very atmospheric horror read, and would be a good choice for the #Snowedin prompt.

#ScarathlonDailyPrompts #Day2 #Creature This is one of the best creature books I‘ve read lately. It took me about 4hrs to read, I couldn‘t put it down! I can‘t say much about the creature without giving a lot away, but I can tell you that from the 1st chapter it gives you a sense of dread that doesn‘t let go till the end. I love her books and this is the No1 Henry book for me👍 #Scarathlon #TeamSlaughter 6pts

Waiting in the school pickup lane = good time to start a new book

After reading other people‘s reviews of this and reflecting back on the story, I‘m now disappointed that this wasn‘t as good as it could‘ve been. In the beginning, I was totally invested in the “monster in the woods” part of the story, but as it went along, all we got were: Mattie‘s internal dialogue; an abusive father trying to make his daughter his wife; William (the father) trying to protect Mattie; Mattie coming across some strangers, who ⬇️

Already an hour and a half into this, and I can tell I‘m going to need a lighter book after I‘m done with this. This is now the second book in a row that the husband is treating the wife like crap. 😩😡

So far, this is a creepy book of a couple trying to survive winter in the mountain, but something is lurking nearby.

Dumb story of a woman who was kidnapped as a child and now lives with the man as his wife in the middle of the woods. Turns out they‘re not alone. Ridiculous.

THE TENSION. THE SUSPENSE. THE CREEPINESS. Not to mention all the viscera. Highly recommend the audiobook.

First read for #summerween down.

My first read for #summerween. 92% in and literally can't stop listening.

Okay.. I don't understand the hype. I really didn't like this book. Like I thought it was a monster book but it's all about the main characters life.. and flashbacks.. and talking.. and talking.. And oh there may be something in the woods but we don't see it at all and it's not mentioned often. I went into this book with way too high expectations. 2/5

This was a great book! Hooked me in at the beginning and I was all in. The setting of the story was creepy enough but then throw in the monsters, both human and supernatural, and it became a story I didn‘t want to put down until I found out how it ended. The only thing I didn‘t like was that there were so many unanswered questions at the end. I need to know!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

F*@k William.

Just starting this one and my blood is already boiling 😅

Overall, Near the Bone was a well-paced, immersive horror. My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3803361063

“His shadow would chase her for the rest of her life, and she hated him for that, hated that her mind would never be completely easy, that she‘d always be looking over her shoulder for a monster.”

#AestheticallyMatched #ReadingChallenge @Clwojick

Total page turner, but still only a low pick. I was so annoyed with Mattie's inner monologue most of the time - I know it's a feature.

The dark, paranormal part reminded me of Neville's The Ritual.

This book had me until the end. Not crazy about how abruptly this one ends.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Look what arrived! 😍 Thank you @TheAromaofBooks! I can‘t wait to read this one and have added it to my #BookSpinBingo board for the month 😊

This starts off quite slowly, but gradually builds to a gripping section where they are fleeing for their lives from whatever is killing everything around it & leaving their corpses strung from trees. Also, never have I wanted a character to meet a sticky end as much as I wanted William to. 3.5🌟

TW: physical abuse, gaslighting, paedophilia, miscarriage, graphic injury/violence, animal death.

Just starting the tagged, don‘t recall where I heard about it but a lot of library holds so I better get reading! Sitting with Whiskers who we think has developed asthma 😑 so it‘s been a long week but she‘s started a steroid treatment that should help. All the better for her to get a lot of cuddles and assist me with my reading!

What more could I want , Blood and Gore, Strang stuff happen ,

Thank you @rsteve388 for this wonderful #bestof2021swap package!! I absolutely love the calendar, the socks are perfect for me, the stickers will go right in my bujo and the chocolate sounds so yummy! I also can‘t wait to read both of these books!! Thank you and Happy New Year!!! 🎆💜🎆🖤🎆

And thank you @candority for hosting such a fun swap! 😘♥️

My #4thBookOf2021 for #April is this brilliant horror book by Christina Henry. I really liked her Alice series, but this book was an edge-of-your-seat white knuckle ride from the 1st page. I ended up tearing through it in 2hrs, I just couldn‘t put it down. The ending was worth every second. Highly highly recommend. #12BooksOf2021

This read a lot more like a YA horror book than I expected. Mattie is a young woman living on an isolated mountain with her husband William. When unidentifiable tracks are discovered in the snow, Mattie begins to wonder what else lives amongst the trees. Three strangers appear to investigate the source of the footprints. Mattie begins to wonder if she can trust these strangers to save her from the monsters on the mountain. ⭐⭐⭐💫

A number of Henry‘s books have been on my TBR for a long time, but I bumped this one up after @Reggie posted a great review a few months ago.
Mattie has only known the mountain and William for the last 12 years. The looming threat of an unknown creature and three hikers in search of it will bring out the truth and change everything. This was a really gripping book and if I could I have I would have read it in one day. #Screamathon

‘A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster.‘

Not my favorite by Christina Henry but still a decent horror novel. Loved the snowy mountain setting. The story is suspenseful and kept me interested. It‘s also a pretty quick read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Scarathlon2021 #Screamathon #Wickedathon
#SpookOWeen #Readathon

+16 points #TeamHendrix

I‘ve become a big fan of Christina Henry. This book was very suspenseful. I‘m not sure that the creature was the worst monster in the book. +336 #TeamHendrix #Scarathlon2021 #LMPBC #GroupT #Screamathon #spookoween #thrilloween #vampathon

Starting this one now.

#Scarathlon2021 #Screamathon #Wickedathon
#SpookOWeen #Readathon

+1 #TeamHendrix

Starting this one for #LMPBC #GroupT. It‘s going to be a long day of airports and planes.

4✨ Okay. Wow. There are monsters and creatures in this story. It could have maybe explained some things in an epilogue of given another chapter, but man was it good! Read for #LMPBC

Just finished the audiobook. Went into it completely blind and was pleasantly surprised. It's a good light-ish horror. A little gory but not too much and suspenseful through to the end. Great find thanks a fellow litten. 3.75 ⭐ still a pick.

**TW domestic abuse, violence including sexual, abduction, child abuse.

A quick but somewhat underwhelming read.

#LittensDressedInBlood #Day11 #MonsterMash Today‘s prompt instantly brings this recent read to mind.Henry is a brilliant horror writer who takes children‘s stories & twists them into creepy tales, but this one was slightly different & the best she‘s written in my opinion.From the 1st chapter where Mattie finds the mutilated body of a fox whilst checking traps near her home on a remote mountain,there‘s a sense of dread that builds & doesn‘t let go.

Wow, This book did not get the hype that it deserved, but it was a horror novel through and through, it was frightening and ensured the reader was at the edge of their seat and very uncomfortable as the story unfolded. Great book! 5 Stars.

I think this is my #FFFS Box, not expecting anything else from Amazon, so that's probably a safe assumption.

So it turns out this was a birthday present from my sister and not my Swap Box. It's a foot massager!

#FFFS Box Shipped should arrive on Thursday. Forgot to grab a picture. @Avanders

Next up, my current #lmpbc book! I just have to remember to actually write in it! When I get into a book, I totally forget!

Received my #lmpbc from @Littlewolf1 can‘t wait to start it!

4.6⭐️ frightening and fantastic. This book was so good... I loved it and glad I get to share it with my #LMPBC group.

Yup this was an F”Ed up one. You don‘t know what to be more afraid of, the girls situation or the thing in the woods.

This was good. Very readable. On a snowy mountain, Mattie is sent to check on the traps when she discovers a dead fox and tracks that make no sense. She goes back to tell William, her abusive husband, the only other person who Mattie has seen or known for 12 years. I spent this book scared of this monster stalking them, scared for Mattie every time she got beat by William, and prayed that the monster would just kill William. Good stuff. Pick!

All right #groupT, here are my picks for this round of #LMPBC. Let me know what you guys think.

I read this all over one day! That is unusual for me, but it shows how enthralling this book was. I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen and who would make it out alive.

There was quite a bit of child abuse and spousal abuse, which did disturb me. I didn't like that part of the story. There was also a large, bigfoot type creature stalking the characters. Basically, everyone was in danger all the time. It made for a wild ride.