Welcome to Litsy!

This book was so much more than I expected, framing issues of inequality and racism in an unconventional gothic paranormal mystery with a dark romance sub-plot.

I loved everything from the characters and the setting to the pace and the writing itself. This was just an all around good read, perfect for this time of year.

This was a reread for me and I enjoyed it more the second time. Opal lives in the small town of Edan, where she spends her time working, taking care of her brother, and obsessing over Starling House. Then she gets hired as a housekeeper and things get weird 🐦‍⬛
#WickedWords #email @asyouwish

Snagged these 2 deals this week on Bookshop. #weekendplans

Well, as of yesterday, I finally caught up on posting reviews for all the things I read in the months I hadn't been posting!

Now, pictured above are all the books I read over the last two weeks or so while I've been playing catch up.

I'll be posting my reviews of them soon, just at a more sedate pace. 😆

⭐️⭐️I wanted to like it. I almost liked it. Very meh! Too much going on and none of it sticks. Overly long and repetitive in many places. I know there‘s a good story in there, I just couldn‘t grab onto it. It was grabbing sand.

I enjoyed this novel set in Kentucky and written by a Kentucky author. It was refreshing to relate to the unique features of Kentucky, such as its flowers, limestone, hollars, and sinkholes. It‘s a tale that delves into the complexities of difficult emotions, particularly those stemming from loss. I had an unfortunate problem with my copy though - a major oversight by the publisher.

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/starling-house

This book was SO FREAKING GOOD!! I loved the story, but it was honestly the writing that made this for me. Not only will I be looking to read more by this author, but I'm afraid it will leave me with a book hangover that causes a slump. There were also some historical facts at the end that just added to the vibe. Oh, and make sure to look for the last chapter that comes after the author notes at the end.

"That's how the history of Starling House feels to me now, like a story told so many times the truth is obscured, caught only in slantwise glimpses. Maybe that's how every history is."

This book has me in a choke hold! I'm only halfway through, and I have realized that I might need to read everything this author has ever written!!

Ever since their mother's death, Opal has fought tooth and nail to protect her little brother Jasper. She's even willing to brave the rumored horrors of Starling House if it means money for his school fund. This gripping fantasy blends fairy tale elements with the gritty details of growing up poor in a small mining town in Kentucky. As a Kentuckian myself, I may be a bit biased, but I couldn't put this one down.

I'm still thinking about this one and how I want to review it. I liked it, but it's weird; I can't quite say how much yet.

I didn't make a #BookSpinBingo blackout in February, as you see. But maybe I'll make it before the new numbers are announced -- in my heart, that still counts! And either way, this is what... six bingos? I'm happy.

A friend loaned me this today. It definitely sounds interesting.

I finished this one on audio a few days ago. I enjoyed the setting and the writing style but just couldn‘t get attached to any of the characters.

Puzzling whilst I listen to Starling House (and loving it).

I liked The Ten Thousand Doors of January so much more than I liked this book. I did the audio version. I had a very hard time following it. I did like the setting, a creepy old house. I didn‘t care for any of the characters. I had a hard time understanding the relationship between Opal and Arthur. This book was just so-so.

Ah, what an evocative, haunting book. A fable, a horror, a true story? Maybe all three, in one way or another. A winding tale of dreams made real, and the nightmares that drive us through life. It‘s difficult to describe, tbh, as the story is unsettled and unsettling, defies genre, and navigates a tangled labyrinth of plot and emotion. Alix Harrow has a remarkable talent for weaving a world, and this is no exception. Stellar read.

Starting off the year, it seems, with books I REALLY wanted to read immediately upon purchasing, but still didn‘t for whatever reason…I‘ve loved Alix Harrow‘s other work, so am looking forward to this read. Pictured with bonus cat!

Another great gothic from Harrow. Starling House is a living entity, sheltering monsters initially created by Eleanor Starling, and born out of her fear. The house has lured and killed successive guardians. Arthur is determined to break the curse and die killing the monsters. Opal, who lost her mother to the curse, is inescapably drawn to the House and wants to save Arthur. Explores, very well, concepts of addiction to fear and ideals. Great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Enjoyed visiting the Starling House and meeting some of the good folks of Eden.

This was the second creepy house book I read in October! It wasn‘t really YA but read like it—I‘m not sure how I feel about that, but I did really enjoy the book. I liked the characters and was fascinated with piecing together the various clues about the history of the house and the Starling family. And I loved the role that legends and storytelling and dreams played in the plot. However, there were a few writing quirks that got on my nerves. ⤵️

Sort-of a mixed bag for me. I think Harrow did the “sentient house” bit exactly right. I loved the message about how dreaming seems like a luxury but is, in fact, a necessity. The characters are loyal & self-sacrificing to a heartbreaking degree; it‘s almost painful to watch them finally start to trust & nourish themselves. However, the story is overlong. The romance, which isn‘t silly, is sometimes made silly by Harrow‘s choice of language.👇🏻

Such a beautiful fall evening for #hyggehour

This was ok but I didn't love it.

I‘m so pleased with all the reading I did over the weekend for the #BirthdayBashReadathon! I finished three in-progress books (one of which was my October #BookSpin), kept up/caught up on #FellowshipofTolkien and #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead, and got about halfway through my #DoubleSpin! Happy Birthday, Sarah—and I hope you had a lovely weekend reading and celebrating! 🥳🎉📚🎂

5/5 ⭐️ I loved this gothic haunted house story! The characters are gritty and determined. Very atmospheric

#HauntedShelf #HexesandCrows #31by31 #spookoween #pumkaboohunt #trappedinaspookyhouse #castthedie #halloweenAtoZreadathon

Alix E Harrow is a new to me author who lured me in with their cover and kept me in with their writing. It wasn't the best thing I ever read, but I liked it well enough. The modern day gothic vibe added to the book's appeal though I'm only giving this 3 out of 5 stars because it was still rather lackluster.

Sidebar,The narrator for the #audiobook gets my thumbs up.

I really loved this one. The story sucked me in from the very beginning. It reminded me a little bit of The Haunting of Hill House in some ways with the family history and the pull of the house. It had so many stories within it and I felt like the author put so much work into this story to make it feel real and believable. I thought it was perfectly written and I enjoyed evening about it.

I really love Harrow‘s writing — and her growing list of sharp, feral, magical characters.

(I also appreciate, as a fellow Kentuckian, how well she captures the feeling of simultaneously judging (harshly) and loving (deeply) the place you call home.)

I actually have quite a few spooky (-ish) reads on my TBR for October… although I‘m not sure whether I‘ll get to all of them! The tagged is my #BookSpin pick for the month, and several others are for buddy reads/book clubs. I‘m not sure how spooky Lolly Willowes really is, but: witches! #SundayFunday

I was going to ask for some female horror writers but then clocked this from Book Riot. My absolute favourite genre is gothic horror/thriller.

https://bookriot.com/recent-works-of-gothic-horror-to-read-asap/

#HauntedShelf #SkeletonCrew

I read a lot of great books in September, but Starling House still jumped out as my number one pick.

I forgot to mention this in my review, but anyone who loves the ecological/class and horror aspects of this book should listen to the podcast Old Gods of Appalachia. And if you like Old Gods, definitely read this book!

This one‘s a really neat meditation on what it means to belong, with undercurrents of ecological horror and traditional southern gothic themes. To some extent, this delivers what V.E. Schwab‘s “Gallant” does not, and I loved it.

Love a book with a House that‘s alive. Love ferocious, all-encompassing sibling love. Love two broken people finding each other. Love a Hellcat.

I love the footnotes in this book. They started out funny and matter-of-fact, but they‘re getting creepier. And the fact that this outside entity fact-checking and providing context is providing *creepy* context just makes the whole thing more eerie.

This is not my usual cup of tea, and it took me a bit to feel settled into the story, but I ultimately enjoyed it. I think. It‘s all really very strange.

This book was just ok for me. The story kind of gave a me a beauty and the beast vibe with some weird crap thrown in. MC Opal never fully recovered after the death of her mother and is determined to care for her younger brother & give him a life away from their crap town. She opts to take a job at the creepy Starling House where she meets the oddball Arthur and life as she knows it completely changes once she sets foot into that house.

Not very scary and gets bogged down in incredibly detailed description. The imagery is lush, but we don't need lush, wordy descriptions of every single moment. Would be better if 50% shorter. Opal is emotionally stunted and can't live much after the trauma of her mom's death, just takes care of her brother. But sometimes her childish reactions and decisions (she is 26) feel unrealistic, and she treats her mature 16 YO brother like he is 10.

Opal grew up on the stories E. Starling published about the monsters in the Underland but when her mom dies in a car accident, she puts everything aside to raise her little brother.
When a chance encounter with Arthur, the mysterious owner of Starling house and heir of Opal‘s favorite author, leads to a job in the gothic house, Opal finds out E. Starling‘s book might not be as fictional as everybody thought.
Flawed characters and overcoming trauma

This is a pick for me, but I have to admit not enjoying it nearly as much as the other books by this author. I did not like the audible narration, so perhaps I would have enjoyed it more in print format. For some reason the love story just didn't hit the mark for me and I think the entire novel could have done without it.

Got up early for a hike and was waiting for my friend to pick me up, then realized that is tomorrow. Oops! So had unexpected time to catch up on Litsy. Going to finish the tagged audiobook, make lemon lavender cookies and baked beans for a BBQ, and walk in the clear sunshine.
Recommend the new Quiet Place movie, but bring earplugs because they jack the volume up to create a contrast between noisy city and terrified silence. #saturdaychatterday

I cried my eyes out tbh, but in that happy "why is a book even this good" kind of way

this book is sooo beautiful 😍😍

I love when I am sitting down to read a book and I've read everything on the "Also by ... " list ? (and loved every word)

The magical realism was great, if it were more scary I would have liked it better. I would say this book is spooky lite.

I enjoyed this atmospheric novel with lots of flawed characters and a mysterious house. I loved Opal‘s resilience and gumption. I was hooked on Arthur and his back story. A little out there at times but still a pick. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I hovered between soft Pick & So-So but ultimately the love story at the crux of this felt a bit needless in my opinion. The originator of the “curse” on the other hand was very compelling and the final quarter made me like the book infinitely more. This is ultimately a story of family (both found and inherited) - I wish that was the focal point throughout. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Overall, was a quick read with a great setting.

This book was atmospheric and reminded me a bit of a southern gothic. I liked Opal as a flawed, yet scrappy main character who only wanted the best for her brother and was a survivor. I also love sentient house stories, and this did not disappoint. The OwlCrate version is gorgeous!

The tagged *finally* came off hold for me! So on to a belated #AuldLangSpine pick 💖 @DGRachel @monalyisha