Riley has been isolated from humanity for a long time now. She's been good at avoiding people since the beginning...It's people who are the danger
Riley has been isolated from humanity for a long time now. She's been good at avoiding people since the beginning... Back when looking at people's eyes first started destroying minds.
She still has access to what remains of the world (and food/goods deliveries) from her computer and until recently, her phone, which she recently threw into the river. Things are... Ok. Safe. Until she runs into her new neighbor.
The craving for human contact versus the fear of turning into a bloodthirsty ticking time bomb affects Riley strongly. The "rules" that she's followed to stay safe get harder to follow... For all she knows these rules have changed. For all she knows Ellis is the new danger...
This book is an exciting horror story that feels a lot like the early days of the pandemic felt. When Riley was running around all crazy I was like oh yeah... This feels horribly similar.
The author does a good job with building the audience's doubt in our unreliable narrator, Riley. I think at one point while Ellis was talking I realized I wasn't even sure if what Riley had told us about the plague was true. So that's when you know the author did well
The descriptors in the book are also well done. I saw the author read for the audiobook and that they are a Podcaster so I went the audiobook route with this one and it was really well done.
Overall a fun, somewhat gory horror story for all those that know what it's like to be alone for too long...more
Glad to see that the reaction to Alex Easton in What Moves the Dead was positive enough to spark a sequel.
Easton is back and this time they are actualGlad to see that the reaction to Alex Easton in What Moves the Dead was positive enough to spark a sequel.
Easton is back and this time they are actually Back, returned to their home country and hosting the lovely scientist Eugenia Potter at their hunting lodge so Miss Potter can study the local mushrooms (and definitely not anything to do with spending time with Angus).
Unfortunately, the Horrors begin before Easton and Angus even arrive to get the lodge set up for their guest. Codrin, the lodge's caretaker, has passed during their time away, and the people in town are now afraid of the lodge...
The characters in the story are wonderful as always, one of the best things about Kingfisher's novels is how fun the characters are. My only caveat was that the horror aspect was not as built out as in the previous novel.
Ever since reading this I'll be wandering around my house at night like, "oh I am soo normal." Two seconds later: "And I twisted myself around like thEver since reading this I'll be wandering around my house at night like, "oh I am soo normal." Two seconds later: "And I twisted myself around like the Twisted Ones."
This novel opens up with Melissa "Mouse" agreeing to clean out her deceased grandmother's house so it can be put for sale. She wasn't close to her grandmother as her grandmother was the kind who always has something awful to say. As an added bonus, once Mouse enters the house it is immediately clear that grandma was also a big-time hoarder.
Despite her reluctance, Mouse decides to go through with cleaning up the mess. At least the bedroom to her step-grandpa, Cotgrave, is still clean enough for her to stay in. While in Cotgrave's room, she comes across a diary of his. The guy had dementia towards the end but his notes are odd and obsessive, especially in regards to something called "The Green Book", and he kept mentioning the phrase "and I twisted myself around like the Twisted Ones" over and over to the point that it gets into Mouse's head.
This is all strange...but Mouse is determined to see the cleaning project to completion. While taking a break by walking in the woods behind the house, her dog Bongo leads them up an impossible mountain, with creepy twisted stones. Some with faces wide and others with bodies twisted... something that Mouse feels an urge to mimic...
Um I am literally getting scared again writing this summary so let's cut here. No need to mention any deer at all or I'll be scared of the window again.
Even though this is the oldest T Kingfisher book I've read tbh this feels like the best one. The pacing is really well done and the descriptions of disturbing imagery are very vivid in the mind. Like all Kingfisher's books there are moments that break the tension and make you laugh out loud. The dynamic between Mouse and the neighbor Foxy is the greatest, and all the characters in the story have their own independent voice and feel real and fleshed out. It was refreshing to see good writing like this in a horror story.
The ending is also well done and personally I liked this ending far more than The Hollow Places or House with Good Bones. It feels more solid and stays on the horror track.
Recommended for anyone who wants to settle into a good horror story...more
Here is where I admit an obsession with T Kingfisher
The Hollow Places has a main character more similar to the one in "House with Good Bones". Kara "CHere is where I admit an obsession with T Kingfisher
The Hollow Places has a main character more similar to the one in "House with Good Bones". Kara "Carrot" has recently went through a divorce and gave up the house, which means she needs a place to stay. Her mother offers, but their relationship dynamic is not the best so Kara is more than pleased when her uncle Earl offers up his spare bedroom above his beloved Wonder Museum, a place filled with "natural" wonders of the world which basically means it is full of taxidermy and weird things.
As soon as moving in Kara sees how bad her uncle's knee problems really are, and offers a suggestion: uncle Earl gets his knee surgery and Kara takes care of the museum in his absence.
Her caretaker role at the museum starts off fine, until one day Kara notices a hole in the wall. Fortunately the brother of the owner of the coffee shop adjacent to the museum, Simon, is friendly enough to come help patch it. While doing the patch however, they realize something very strange. The space behind the wall extends to an impossible hallway, which is long and far enough that it should be out in the street.
Like any normal person, both Kata and Simon can't not investigate and so they enter the hallway and follow it down, until they come upon something impossible: a world full of doorways into other worlds. This discovery could have been beautiful, and amazing, and wondrous, but unfortunately for everyone, there are mysterious monsters hiding within the willow trees in the mysterious worlds. Hungry monsters that have morbid curiosities that are so disturbing that you better hope they are hungry instead of curious.
The best part about this book is that it isn't horror in the traditional sense. While there are parts that are creepy and uneasy, the narrator's voice has comments that make you laugh out loud despite the terrifying situations she's in. This book is just a lot of fun with the perfect mix of comedy and horror, and it's too bad there's isn't a genre name that covers this kind of genre exactly...yet!...more
The house of Count Montoni's newest servant has a secret: he is actually a marquis who has fled
"To living in sin in plain sight of everyone"
*cheering*
The house of Count Montoni's newest servant has a secret: he is actually a marquis who has fled his home to avoid being forced into marriage by his aunt. Emile's plan is to hide until he becomes of age, when he could inherit his fortune without being subjugated to his aunt's demands.
He's not doing a great job of hiding though, during an outing with the local doctor he swears he recognizes someone, the Count's troublemaker of a nephew has decided to demote his valet and promote Emile to the position on a whim, and above all, there is most definitely something monstrous roaming around the manor at night.
This book had more horror elements than I'd expected, which would normally be fun except that I've been ill and already having trouble sleeping so I was super traumatized at some points like "Emile for the love of god do NOT go there, Don't do That, Emile GO BACK TO THE ROOM DAMMIT."
Unfortunately for Emile he isn't aware of present day horror films so that boy had no sense, I swear.
This book is a fun and pretty fast read (surprised to see the hardcover copy is pushing 400 pages). It has a well balanced blend of mystery, horror, and romance. And of course the gothic vibe, especially once they characters move into a creepy old castle, is strong with this one....more
Well hold the phone now - this book is Sworn Soldier #1? There's gonna be a #2? OOO I am here for it
Let me start this review by saying that I /have/ rWell hold the phone now - this book is Sworn Soldier #1? There's gonna be a #2? OOO I am here for it
Let me start this review by saying that I /have/ read Mexican Gothic and have /not/ read Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. And I liked this one more than Mexican Gothic
The story is told by Alex Easton, a veteran soldier who was summonded to see their old friend, Madeline Usher, who had fallen deathly ill. On the way to the Usher house Easton encounters a passionate mycologist by the name of Eugenia Potter, who is studying the unusual fungi in the area.
At the Usher house, Madeline and her brother look worse off than Easton imagined, and the doctor they'd summoned, Denton, does not have much in the way of a diagnoses beyond Madeline's catalepsy. And Easton may not be a superstitious sort, but the behavior of the hares surrounding the house and the eeriness of the nearby lake are not something to be ignored...
This book is more than your typical gothic horror: Kingfisher's included sci-fi and historical fiction elements are what pull the story together at the end and leave you with that funky feeling you get after watching Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. All the characters were endearing in their own way, and Easton and their batman's annoyance at the American doctor were hilarious. I also learned that hares and rabbits and Very Different. We americans are used to innocent little bunnies, meanwhile in the UK they have these hideous long legged devil-eyed freaks of nature.
Anyway. The book. A wonderfully 21st century retelling of an old gothic horror. As someone who isn't a horror fan I recommend this book not only for gothic horror fans but also for sci-fi fans....more
Ask and ye shall receive. After reading Freydís Moon's last book I wondered if the author had ever watched Supernatural. I know now for certain that tAsk and ye shall receive. After reading Freydís Moon's last book I wondered if the author had ever watched Supernatural. I know now for certain that they have
This is the 3rd book by Moon that I've read and I find all their writing entertaining. This story is about Colin Hart, an exorcist with a history who has walked away from the church's exorcism path and now works as a freelance exorcist.
He has come to investigate Bishop Martínez's home, and the moment Colin walks in he knows there's some crazy stuff going down. Something about the house has turned it into a hotspot for negative energies, and the house's owner is not being particularly forthcoming about why that may be...
This is the longest story I've read by Moon but despite this, oddly enough it felt like this story had a shakier foundation than the others, and that some of the mystery was rushed and fell flat. Regardless of this, as someone who has seen every episode of Supernatural clearly I can forgive these minor flaws in favor of entertainment with evil spirits
This book has that Southern Gothic vague and hazy horror mixed with the kind of blatant thoughts and feelings that only a teenager can feel.
Magnolia iThis book has that Southern Gothic vague and hazy horror mixed with the kind of blatant thoughts and feelings that only a teenager can feel.
Magnolia is a nineteen year old whose grandmother has just died. From the first pages of the book we are introduced to the struggles that Magnolia will now face without her grandmother around to protect her.
While on her night shift at the local gas station, Magnolia encounters a strange white man who comes in with hands covered in blood. She decides to keep her distance, as any reasonable person would, but he end up being odd but harmless, and offers her a modeling job at his business.
Now Magnolia knows better than to go to that white man's place of business but as the day stretches on and the predatory presence of all those no longer culled by her Mama Brown protection Magnolia gives in and makes her way to the location on the business card.
The business is not a modeling studio but a funeral parlor, and the job? Pretending to be loved one's dearly departed. Odd, but it pays well. And more importantly it has gotten Magnolia out of her living situation. As Magnolia becomes more and more tied up with Cotton and his aunt in the funeral parlor the more her living situation changes and yet her financial and even physical independence stay the same. Magnolia continues to be plagued by her past and copes with her issues by distancing herself mentally by imagining herself as something else, but her reality is now coming down hard on her in the form of her grandmother, who has returned as a ghost on this plane to help her granddaughter.
This story takes the fear and suffering of being impoverished, young, and Black for a woman in the American South. Magnolia's experiences from others in and around her community show the stark reality of her situation, and the way that she is perceived by others plays a focal point in how she behaves. There are parts of this book that are difficult to read because of this, but the progress of Magnolia's characterization and she learns to process her trauma and grief, both of which have come too soon and too hard for someone her age, is really well done. ...more
Wow traumatized imagining if we lived in this alternative reality
I’m grateful for WTBM’s reading challenge getting me to find a “genre bending” book,Wow traumatized imagining if we lived in this alternative reality
I’m grateful for WTBM’s reading challenge getting me to find a “genre bending” book, as I wouldn’t have happened upon this novella without it.
“Hopper” Winslow Houndstooth has just gotten a small fortune in US gold for a contract to remove the feral hippos from a massive bit of marsh along the southern end of the Mississippi river known as The Harriet. “Hippos?” You ask. Yes, hippos. See, this book is set it a horrific alternate universe where hippos were brought to the Americas in the 1800s to breed as a meat source. Something that we apparently narrowly avoided
Imagine if we had both hippos and those wild boar in the south? This country would have been lost long ago
Anywho, Houndstooth has plans for a grand Operation to complete the task of kicking these feral, man-eating hippos out of pure American swamp land and into the Gulf of Mexico, and it requires a group of the best.
Filled with money-hungry characters, contract killers, thugs, explosives, love, and hippos, this book is like a Western but set in a far more horrifying background. 4/5 stars it better have a sequel because That ending? whew...more
"The house watched the three girls and a thin line of water dripped from the ceiling. If it had been raining that night, it could've just been rain. B"The house watched the three girls and a thin line of water dripped from the ceiling. If it had been raining that night, it could've just been rain. But it wasn't. It was dry outside. The house was salivating."
I want to start off this review by emphasizing that there are a LOT of trigger warnings that one should be aware of, more than I could remember to list here but primarily there is detailed body horror, rape, xenophobic/transphobic/antisematic/all sorts of phobic tbh language, and just a bunch of things in that vein. If you think, "might __ be mentioned?" just assume it will LOL. I normally don't mention trigger warnings in books but this one had so many I just want to be sure no one walks away from this review unawares.
As for the actual review: This story follows 3 girls - Alice, Ila, and briefly Hannah, who all went into a haunted house three years ago. We discover what really happened in the house those years ago in stages. The truth is difficult to discern because what each girl experienced was different from the others.
Though it is a "horror", this is novel's themes are focused on historic and contemporary societal mindset - who to believe, who we want to believe, what society wants us to believe... Especially now with this weird world full of people getting radicalized on the internet, doing and saying whatever they want and pretending to be whoever they want you to believe they are. The author also ties this into our own realities and how our private innermost thoughts are shaped by the culture surrounding us. (and the internet is all around us now)
At some points of this book these themes are poignant. At other times they are overbearing. There are times where arguments are delivered humorously, such as the evil Morrissy poster hidden under the bed or Alice recounting a over-the-top transphobic internet post she read once. But sometimes the joke is dragged on endlessly and I found myself trying to figure out how much longer it would take until we actually got back to the story. This is not a flaw in the writing though. It is clear that the author is mimicking the inane arguments people with fascist/transphobic/xenophobic/racist/antisematic ETC ideologies make online. It's part of the story, but unless you are someone who is terminally online you're going to come across a lot of things that you need to google (really crazy news articles come up when you google "4chan" btw).
As for the horror aspect it wasn't so much a spooky tale as it was a violent one, with a lot of that aforementioned body horror and rape scenes. While the story mostly uses these themes to reference sexuality, gender, transness and societal impact on our sense of self, there were times where I was like "really?".
By the end of this book I felt like I didn't really know how I felt about it, or how anyone should feel about it. Maybe it's because I am the type of person who hates gender like bite scratch kill when I'm referenced with any gender term makes me feral kind of person is what makes these types of books also kind of gucky. At the end of reviews I also tend to recommend books to certain types of people/ for different types of moods but for this one you're on your own. Do or don't read it that's your business not mine...more
"A house can hardly stand for 80 years without seeing some of its inhabitants die within its walls"
*thinks of 98 year old house I'm buying this
"A house can hardly stand for 80 years without seeing some of its inhabitants die within its walls"
*thinks of 98 year old house I'm buying this Friday* uh oh.
The Haunting of Hill House follows Eleanor, a woman who was recently freed from her decade-long role of caring for her ailing mother, who was invited to stay at Hill House from a Dr Montague, whom was hoping to bring guests with previous paranormal experiences to investigate Hill House. Unfortunately for the Doctor, only Eleanor and an artist named Theodora come to stay, and the three of them, along with an heir to the home, Luke Sanderson, spend the next week at the house.
What follows is a wild ride. The more I think about this book the more I like it.
There are so many details in the story that can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. This book isn't horror in the normal sense, it's more of a psychological thriller. There are moments that we never see as an audience, and we are left to imagine what might have been happening.
The further you get into the book, the more you realize how unreliable a narrator Eleanor is. By the end of it I was wondering if Eleanor was actually (view spoiler)[dead like Bruce Willis at the end of Sixth Sense (hide spoiler)] the whole time. Like what even was going on! Why were there so many doors in that kitchen? What does Mrs Dudley Know? What did Theo see at the picnic? It's all so much!
You ever read a book that makes you want to start banging on pots and pans and just scream
Reading this book really put the student loan crisis into peYou ever read a book that makes you want to start banging on pots and pans and just scream
Reading this book really put the student loan crisis into perspective for me... It walks you through the history of student loans in the US (a very new concept) and points out how quickly investors started using school debts to get a buck.
From the origin of many for profit schools who charged exactly how much stipend veterans received for a school year to the way Sallie motherfucking Mae has shaped the student loan program every part of this book makes you feel a chilling rage.
As a young person, I, my parents, teachers, classmates, all accepted that going to college was shitfaced expensive. And we knew how insanely more expensive it was to go than it was for our parents, or their parents, but we just ??? accepted that as How it Be. And reading this book really makes you realize how absolute bullshit it all was. A fabricated reality. Make mommy and daddy pay for school it'll totally be worth it that's so normal yay! (?!)
The quote that stood out the most: For our nation's history, wealth would be passed down to the newer generations. For the first time, debts started being passed up generations. (not a direct quote) The parent plus program is so batshit insane crazy manipulative horrible evil HOW DID WE JUST ACCEPT THIS AS NORMAL? And why the literal fuck are people still getting away with this?
The best part of the book came towards the end when Mitchell reminds us of Biden's original promised student loan forgiveness program during his campaign. HA! HAHA!!
I've tried audiobooks several times but have never been able to get through a story. Because this was labeled as being My first audiobook story ever!
I've tried audiobooks several times but have never been able to get through a story. Because this was labeled as being exclusively made for audio, and because it was written by Erik Larson who I know has a lovely descriptive style, I gave this audiobook and try
And man did it deliver!
Towards the end I was sat on the floor of my living room, braiding a embroidery bracelet (I have to do something w my hands) just mute with terror and excitement. The scenes were so well described but with no prattling. Each word was relevant to setting the...more
Woe! This is everything I wanted Mexican Gothic to be and More!
Firstly, I want to say how overjoyed I am to have gotten my grubby little hands on thisWoe! This is everything I wanted Mexican Gothic to be and More!
Firstly, I want to say how overjoyed I am to have gotten my grubby little hands on this masterpiece. My little sister, who never before was the reading type, has recently fallen in love with books; specifically she enjoys “horror, mystery, and romance”. All genres that are not particularly my taste, but I was so enthralled by the dream of us sharing books together that I raided the Chicago Public Library website that same night for a new book following her style.
That is how I wound up with The Hacienda. On first glance, it reads as a stereotypical gothic horror. Very Crimson Peak / Mexican Gothic style. Both of which I found a bit dull…
This book is not like either of these. It occurs immediately following the Mexican War for Independence, and it is rich with history. The motives of Beatriz are directly related to the betrayal of her insurgent father. She marries into the wealthy Solórzano family in interest of saving her mother and herself from poverty. Her place in the town she moves to is affected by her color, and race relations are always at the forefront of her mind.
Upon entering the new hacienda, San Isidro, it is clear to Beatriz that there are foul things afoot. The house watches her, eyes move in the dark, her new cuñada doesn’t stay in the house, the servants maintain a perimeter around it whenever possible.
She requires holy assistance, and gets help from the tall, dark, and handsome priest Andrés; a quietly powerful man who has his own demons…
The story focuses always on the people of Mexico, the workers who tend the fields, the women who suffer at the hands of the masters of the house, the cycle of wealth and war, inequality, and race. I think what really stands out to me is how very Mexican it all is – especially in this time period where the people are still between the old ways and the new catholic religion. Reading Andrés’ struggle between his family’s witchcraft powers and his role as a priest is extremely well written.
Absolutely incredible as a historical fiction, terrifying as a horror (I once leapt out of my skin at my husband’s approach), and beautiful as a romance. Absolute recommend....more
I've finished. Excuse me now while I repeatedly ram my head into the wall
The first book was difficult. This book was harder, much harder to get througI've finished. Excuse me now while I repeatedly ram my head into the wall
The first book was difficult. This book was harder, much harder to get through than the first. Yet somehow I couldn't stop reading? even though through 9/10ths of the time I wanted to jump up and scream, HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON?
I should also note that I hate second person writing, which the book was written in for about 3/4ths of the time (there's so many fractions in this review?). But the fact that this book just makes you completely insane retelling the first book makes you not realize what you've been dragged into.
I'm literally sitting here like :| bro these books? I have nothing witty to say in this review. Once again I think of my spouse asking me if the book is good. And me being like... well I read it didn't I? Spent 2 straight days spinning around in circles just floating 5ft off the ground in the living room reading this book. Also there's lesbians...more
I'm not normally a fan of short story anthologies but decided to take a gamble with this during one of my group's BotM last summer and absolutely loveI'm not normally a fan of short story anthologies but decided to take a gamble with this during one of my group's BotM last summer and absolutely loved it. The stories have different PoV's and themes, some are gorey and dark, others romantic and sweet with supernatural elements. How to Swallow the Moon was the first 2nd person PoV story that I've actually enjoyed, and that alone warrants 5 stars for this collection. ...more
In Bram Stoker's Dracula, the captain of the Demeter was found dead, bound to the wheel with a rosary in his hands to avoidyeah I'll give that 5 stars
In Bram Stoker's Dracula, the captain of the Demeter was found dead, bound to the wheel with a rosary in his hands to avoid letting the vampire take control of the helm. This book is the story of that fateful voyage of Demeter, told through the logs of her captain.
Honestly I decided to read this book simply because Silvia Moreno-Garcia had it translated, and she said that there was a gay protagonist. This is how monkey brained I am.
I'd say this book wasn't what I expected it to be, but tbh I didn't really come in with expectations. But damn the message was really well done, and completely in tune with the inspiration of the original Dracula, which was written nearly a century before this one. I hope to get a hold of the original sometime in the future. It's an add-to-bookshelf kind of book. ...more
So basically this is a story telling you a story about the creation of a film about a story. Along the way you learn the real storiME + THIS BOOK = ?
So basically this is a story telling you a story about the creation of a film about a story. Along the way you learn the real stories, and the stories the film is about.
This sounds dramatic or like I've described it in an over the top way. But it's not. That's actually what this book is.
I know this might sound annoying/ unappealing, and I personally would roll my eyes at a description of a book like this but: this book is an honest GEM. It's not confusing, it's just entertaining. The writing is dark, witty, and super engaging. It's written in an extreme, 4th wall breaking subjective omniscient PoV that I personally LOVED.
Oh and literally everyone is queer. Everyone. So extra bonus to that.
The reason it's not 5 stars is because the ending kind of falls flat? I don't want to give any sort of spoilers though because I genuinely hope people read this. It's SUCH a ride and I know I should've gone to sleep long ago but now I'm scawed :c...more
As someone who hates "slasher" movies and refuses to watch them, I really enjoyed this book. It picks fun at the insidious ridiculousness of the genreAs someone who hates "slasher" movies and refuses to watch them, I really enjoyed this book. It picks fun at the insidious ridiculousness of the genre. Going into the book, I didn't realize the girls were already older and that made the story that much better. Also every time someone was bat shit insane I was laughing out loud. some great lines that are too vague to be spoilers:
"I look at Fine. He's just as scared as I am" (about a plant)
"MRS CLAUSE WATCHING. BIG BREASTS."
"Death is the harbinger of transformation, that which precedes a new life. NO I DON'T WANT TO UPGRADE TO OS 10.6"
"the city will press charges. For what? Littering." (about abandoning a dead body)...more
2021 #52! I have mixed feelings about this book. Yes, this is a trope that is seen often: a small community living through tech shutdown. However it wa2021 #52! I have mixed feelings about this book. Yes, this is a trope that is seen often: a small community living through tech shutdown. However it was an interesting change in that the people were present day but still new to the tech world due to being displaced so far from the rest of civilization. The stories of their heritage were interesting and well interspersed and I really liked the conclusion.
The book itself is also very easy to sink into, though I was annoyed by the introduction of the villain only because he reminded me of the villain in Blood Meridian. However, I recognize that his appearance is representing something else... I just really hated the book Blood Meridian.
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