Welcome to Litsy!

My February pick for the #12Booksof2024 I picked up in the library due to the cover & it made me a T. Kingfisher fan. A unique take on The Fall of the House of Usher, it‘s gothic & creepy & witty & excellent.

Honorable Mentions are: The Huntress, Hidden Pictures & You Are Your Best Thing

My first post for #12BooksOf2024 ! I really loved this queer retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher!

It was so creepy and the horror was so well done, and I loved all the characters! @Andrew65

A retelling of the infamous “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Like all of Kingfisher‘s work I ATE THIS UPPP!! This was so fun, unique, and fresh. I loved everything about it! 5/5

I couldn't pick just one. I'm grateful for T. Kingfisher, Neil Gaiman, Matt Haig, and Katherine May. #sundayfunday @bookmarktavern

I didn‘t think this book was all that creepy until it REALLY WAS 🙀 Such a great listen! I started this on a long road trip and it was a brilliant choice. Beware if you like bunnies. 🐰💀 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@BethM I‘m enchanted! 🤩 the candy fits me perfect, how did you know? And I can‘t wait to try the bath bomb! Thank you for the thoughtful #hhs #hhs24 and thanks for organizing @wanderinglynn

I wonder if the book is as creepy as the cover..🤔 animal. #BookScavenger Hunt #DeadSerious #HauntedShelf

A gothic retelling, not that I know the OG. Which maybe makes it better to come to it with an open mind, since I can't compare. In any case, I enjoyed this, gothic fungi fix 😂 Easton and Potter clearly my faves 💚
I didn't know it was a series until the end had a clip of the sequel and I'll definitely be putting that in the line up.

5 ⭐️s
I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Poe‘s work. I tend to love the premise of gothic stories but end up let down by them. This one wasn‘t like that. I enjoyed the characters, especially their banter. Kingfisher does a wonderful job of creating a foreboding, damp, claustrophobic atmosphere that clings to the reader throughout.

I did find it funny that I kept thinking back to Mexican Gothic and then the author mentions it in the AN. 🍄❤️

#HHS #HauntedHallowSwap package all ready to go. I‘ll stop at the post office after work tomorrow and it‘ll be on its way!

Well, I'm 2 for 2.
This is ANOTHER book I had on my wish lists for Halloween swaps that I already own through #Netgalley. Sheesh!
I really need to get to work on those. 🤗

Here‘s my Halloween aesthetic for #HauntedHallowSwap #HHS - always atmospheric, sometimes creepy and gothic, sometimes silly or campy

A retelling of #edgarallanpoes “thefall of the house of usher”. a solid 4/5. I love the use of fungi in gothic fiction.

Happy to participate in #HauntedHallowSwap #HHS24 🎃 Thank you @wanderinglynn for organizing this spooky good time! 👻 😈👹

This might be my “freezer book” just for that scene with protagonist Easton hunting the hares in the woods. Seriously some of the creepiest writing. Yet there is also some sly wit and quality non-binary rep in this retelling of Poe‘s “Fall of the House of Usher.” The audiobook is very good as well and enhances the conversational tone of Easton‘s narrative. Solid secondary characters as well. Will definitely read more by Kingfisher.

This was interesting kind of 🤨

Read for reading challenges.

3.75/5

A really enjoyable Gothic horror

Loved this novella. Gothic mushroom based horror? Yes please. Plus the queer element is excellent.

One of the best horror stories I've ever read. It easily surpasses Poe's “The Fall of the House of Usher“ and does something very unique with the parts that are based on that story. Truly creepy and horrible but also a pleasant, smooth read with wit and humour. And it even has a non-binary character. How marvellous!
Hob is also an extremely charming character.
What an incredible book!

#serieslove2024

I absolutely loved this Fall of the House of Usher retelling! Our narrator Easton had such an amazing voice I found myself literally laughing out loud at his descriptions. I‘m hoping he‘s back in the next installment! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"But he used to put festive hats on his skulls depending on the season, and they all looked rather jolly."

?

"(...) if you don't make a fool of yourself over animals, at least in private, you aren't to be trusted. That was my one of my father's maxims, and it's never failed me yet."

Couldn't agree more!

"Hob, my horse, was grateful for the rest, but seemed annoyed by the surroundings. He looked at the grass and then up at me, indicating that this was not the quality to which he was accustomed."

Can't really blame him. If you have to carry a heavy monkey on your back through all sorts of rough terrain, the very least they can do is pay you back with a decent meal...

That is the creepiest book I have read in some time. T. Kingfisher is a genius.

I‘m so glad I read A Haunting on the Hill before reading this, so I can listen to “Hares on the Mountain” (I wasn‘t previously familiar with the song), in particular Fern Maddie‘s version, which Hand references in her author‘s note. I was already super into the song and Fern Maddie‘s music, and it‘s a perfect creepy accompaniment to this delightfully creepy book!

I loved this story. It was the perfect combination of creeping horror, dark humor, & suspense. I loved the characters & the atmosphere in equal measure, and the story managed to be believable in the end.

The creeping horror of the hares & the atmosphere created by the crumbling manor house surrounded by the pitting man against nature made for the best setting for a horror story. The characters' personalities shone through.

Book 61/100.

I think I found a new series. I really enjoyed this one. Creepiest book I've read in awhile.

This was great! Sheba was excited to have done couch time with Mom!

Of course Kingfisher writes an unputdownable retelling of Poe‘s The Fall of the House of Usher…one that will have you looking over your shoulder and maybe even leaving the lights on as the creepiness and horror is ratcheted up page after page after page in a story that is told with just the right amount of dry wit. A decrepit house with even more decrepit residents, intrepid visitors, and a rotten core make for a fabulous read. Loved it.

#ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024

I don‘t know why it took me so long to read this retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, but it was worth the wait. Quick, creepy & atmospheric-an enthusiastic pick Along with Mexican Gothic (which the author speaks to in the acknowledgements) it‘s made me rethink how frightening fungi can be!🍄😱 I‘m happy there‘s a follow up in this Sworn Soldier series/duology but I‘m sad it‘s a 14-week hold time on Libby.

A brilliant and eerie novella with an unnerving atmosphere. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.

This sequel of What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher's novella retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, goes in a slightly different direction, but brings back a great cast of characters and maintains the same mystical gothic overtones. I really enjoy this creepy little series & this author's books overall. I listened to the audio and what a treat this was during all of my little tasks. Y'all are going to love this one.

1. Absolutely! Taking breaks with graphic novels (I realize GN's aren't a genre) and poetry helps me a lot.
2. I love Neil Gaiman and Matt Haig
3. I really enjoy T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)
#WondrousWednesday @eggs

The tagged book, and I highly recommend it for anyone that needs a quick read, and likes horror, retellings of Poe, and rotting Gothic manors.

#SundayFunday Have a great day, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

Easton travels to visit some old friends, only to discover that both of them are becoming ill & the house is rotting around them.

Such an excellent retelling of Poe‘s Usher! Atmospheric & spooky, with an insidious creeping horror as Easton learns more and more what‘s going on. The descriptions of the fungus gave me goosebumps. With fun characters & lots of twists, Kingfisher really knocked it out of the park. Can‘t wait for the sequel! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

This was a little slow at first, but then the pace took a 180, and I couldn‘t put it down.

A gothic sporror novella retelling of Edgar Allen Poe‘s THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. A slow burn that turned out to be a pretty great read!

What is sporror = spore-horror - a subgenre where mycelia and mosscaps become a driving force of terror, death, and destruction. 🍄😱 I learned about that on TikTok! 😂

#Scarathlon Photo Challenge Day 18 prompt: zombie

Very unique take on walking dead.
#HHC

@bookmarktavern @dabbe @liatrek @jessclark78 @chrissyreadit @thedaysgoby @vonnie862 @ladyCait84 @sresendez12 @kelli7990 @JessieKB

Absolutely loved this novella retelling of Poe‘s Fall of the House of Usher! So delightfully creepy…. Excellent on audio. #scarathlon #spookyghostclub

I listened to this book and it was wonderful! I‘m a sucker for a retelling- especially an Edgar Allen Poe one. Truly a gothic horror with some deliciously gruesome imagery. 5/5! #scarathlon #creepinitreal #cir

T Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon is one of my favorite authors, hands down. Her books are always a delight, even as they are often (at least the horror novels) creepy and disturbing. What Moves the Dead, a re-envisioning of the Fall of the House of Usher, is no exception. I'll never look at hares the same way again. Loved Easton and ka manservant, Angus, and the inestimable mycologist, Miss Potter. There's a sequel coming next year and I can't wait!

This was an interesting book to read immediately after Bunny. I know that hares and bunnies (or rabbits) are different creatures, but both are lagomorphs, and they're near enough for the connection to feel thrillingly odd. I wonder if the similarity between the name of the liquor (livrit) and the name of a young hare (leveret) is intentional? Overall I enjoyed the book, but it's a tad light. It has the feel of a short story rather than a novel.

So. Many. Pumpkins.

#Audiocrafting

1: My favorite from last year was What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

2: Cooler weather & seasonal coffee drinks

3: This is basically the one time every year I read horror, but I also like reading some paranormal romances to keep it from being too scary

4: I've been in a reading slump and scarathlon always motivates me to read more

5: Dress my toddler up in his costume, take some pictures, and eat some candy

#mischiefandmayhem #scarathlon

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, how any author could have the temerity to take on a retelling of a Poe classic.

It turns out, not only can it be done well, it can be done so spectacularly that I had to sit in silence for a bit after finishing the book just to let it all settle in my mind.

If you are looking for something spooky and atmospheric, but also witty and engaging, to read this autumn, look no further!

I have no idea what took me so long to read this book, but I absolutely loved it. The book is a retelling of one of Poe‘s most famous short stories. The author created something that I have never read before. The main antagonist of the story was refreshing and very imaginative. I recommend this book 100%. It‘s not too long either! A good suspenseful and thrilling read for the fall season coming up soon.