pickThis was a nice return to the Legends and Lattes series. What I liked most in 'Brigands and Breadknives' is the comradery of the characters. The novel focuses on the foul-mouthed rattikin, Fern. She falls into an adventure with the elven legend Asteryx and the goblin Zyll. These three are aided by the sword Nigel and the This novel is a fun cosy fantasy that will brighten your day. All voices are done very well by the author himself. 4.5 stars
In 'The Story Keeper', when Fiona returns to Wurimbirra, she finds a book called 'The Midnight Estate.' The book has instances of control and abuse from the past.. Fiona begins to investigate secrets within the present time. I liked how Rimmer combined past and present in a patchwork. I really enjoyed the narrator. 4 stars
Thank you, NetGalley!
'Girl Dinner' is a wonderful satire about feminism. It is fully of snarky sarcasm that is, at times, hilarious. It also alludes to the fact that sometimes the main threat to feminism are women themselves. I loved this audiobook version. 5 stars.
pickI enjoyed Helm a lot. I liked the structure of interwoven of separate stories. They gave a fuller description of the wind Helm than if it would have been a single narrative. I found some of the stories to be pretty funny. There was also the climate angle. How our refusal to counter climate change is not sustainable for winds like Helm, or living things.
4 stars.
pick'Hazelthorn' is a beautiful, sad, terrifying, and tender fever dream of a novel. There is body and botanical horror. However, the way it is written, it is beautiful at the same time. I found myself slowing my reading down just to savor the novel. If you love Gothic horror with a wonderful and sad love story, read 'Hazelthorn.' 5 stars.
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I both read and listened to 'The Night is Not for You' in one 9 hour sitting. Described as feminist horror, it describes what might happen to a young girl raised in fear and confinement as she begins to come into her own. Layla's town is beset by gruesome murders of men that seem to be performed by an urban legend. The narrator of the audiobook was excellent. 5 stars.
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pickWhile Cinderella isn't my favorite fairytale, 'Cinder House' made me a believer. In this reimaging, Ella is a ghost tied to her house, which holds her stepmother and stepsisters. Magic lets her attend the ball and meet the Prince. After this, the retelling deviates from most versions. Ella comes into her own completely, and the ending is most satisfactory. I loved the characters of Ella, Nadia, and the Prince. 5 stars.
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pick'The Hitchhikers' is a dark novel. There is a lot of violence from Simon that sometimes seemed gratuitous, except that it fit his character well. The story centers on Alice and Tom who pickup two hitchhikers, Simon and Jenny. Alice and Tom's world will never be the same. There are twists and turns as the story progresses. I think my favorite character is Alice. A well put-together novel of rage and human resilience. 4 stars.
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pickWhile 'The Graceview Patient' isn't my favorite book by Starling, it still creates chills in the reader. Meg has been accepted into the medical trial for her rare disease. She soon finds out things are not what they seem in the hospital. Most of the action takes place from Meg's POV in her hospital room. There's quite a bit of body horror, so this book isn't for the faint of heart. 4 stars.
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'Happy People Don't Live Here' reads like a fairytale for the lost and haunted. The characters appear lifelike and well-developed. One of the main themes is the fallout of running from your past. Also what it means to truly live. I was captivated by the book from the start. 5 stars.
This dual plot line novel is chilling. It's also a found footage book as it is told through emails and audio-visual recordings. While non-traditional, this narrative still has fully developed characters. As a modern epistolary tale, this story does not disappoint. I loved this unique haunting. 5 stars.
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Kelley Armstrong is an auto-read for me whenever a new one comes out. This was no exception. I enjoyed the Sleepy Hollow retelling. Chilling and atmospheric, my attention was caught throughout the novel. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job. 5 stars.
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I enjoyed 'Acquired Taste.' Like most collections, not every story hit, but I liked the collection as whole. The haunting stories were my favorite, such as 'Stowaway,' 'Room with a Boo,' and 'Battlefield Seances.' 'Pick Up Litter' was short and chilling. All in all, the collection and prose were a good thriller.
4 stars.
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Classic Janice Hallett. It's told through her unique narrative structure of texts and emails. This one is the most cosy of her books.
pick'Atlas of Unknowable Things' is a good mystery with a gothic twist. I did find it hard to get into the story at first and enjoyed the audiobook more. I liked the lyrical prose and didn't find it off-putting like some readers. The premise was interesting, but the ending was a little cut and dried good vs. evil. However, the book as a whole was well-written and I enjoyed it, especially the info given about folklore. 4 stars. Thanks, NetGalley!
'Eerie Basin' is a haunting tale of the lust for power. When one person wants to give up, there is always someone waiting in the wings. This time power is given to those who care for an ancient creature. The story is told through Erin and Jimmy. Jimmy has been a mainstay and has cared for the creature for years. He sees its true cost. Erin is just starting out and wants what Jimmy has. 4 stars.
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This book still scares me. Especially the topiary.
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One of the best monster books I have read. The relationship between the boy and monster is spot on.
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This is one of my favorites from Goodman. Atmospheric setting with dark academia and part 'And Then Thete Were None.'
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This is one of my favorite books. While there technically aren't any monsters, there are people becoming monstrous.
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If you are looking for an atmospheric novel, look no further. The Locked Ward comes alive through Pekkanen's description. There's also a twist at the very end.
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I chose this one as a book rec because it was sweet and cosy all the way through.
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This is one of my favorite Mark Edwards books. A good blur between reality and nightmare.
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I love all the Aunt Dimity books. It was sad to find out Atherton had trouble writing because of depression.
pick'The Mean Ones' is a dual timeline novel. In 2006, we learn about how Sabrina's friends were killed at camp. The 2023 timeline describes her present where she has been renamed Sadie for her protection. The ŕeader doesn't realize what is real and what is in Sadie's trauma ladened mind. I enjoyed how the story was pieced together across the dual timeline. 4.5 stars.
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While Lovecraft became a problematic writer, he was at the top of weird fiction lists. I also learned the word phantasmagorical from him.
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I read this as a teenager and loved it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the rest of the trilogy.
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