The nitty-gritty: A perfectly paced page-turner that will keep you guessing, The Night Guest is a small gem of a terrifying story. The Night Guest is written by Icelandic author Hildur Knútsdóttir and translated by Mary Robinette Kowal, and even though I don’t read a lot of translated fiction, it’s one of the best I’ve […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird and unsettling, The Unmothers explores folklore, belief, pregnancy and grief, a story told in flawless prose, dripping with dread. The Unmothers was not what I expected at all, but I really ended up loving it. I’ll admit I got off to a shaky start, because so many different characters are introduced, and […]
The nitty-gritty: A pounding disco beat is the backdrop to this tightly plotted, inventive vampire tale. Grab your fangs and join the party! Imagine if Louis and Lestat from Interview With the Vampire were gorgeous young female vampires who love to party all night at the disco, and you’ll have an idea of what to […]
The nitty-gritty: Twilight Zone-esque stories make up this top-notch collection by veteran horror author Darcy Coates. Scary, unsettling and emotional, read this with the lights on. I don’t read short story collections very often, but I’m so glad I picked up Ghost Camera, because it was excellent! Darcy Coates is one of my go-to authors […]
The nitty-gritty: If you’re looking for a fun, upbeat story, then look no further. Reading The Spellshop feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. Sarah Beth Durst says in her Acknowledgments that she wanted to write a story that captured the feeling of drinking a cup of hot chocolate, […]
The nitty-gritty: Wild nature is the setting for this excellent mystery/thriller where the characters’ relationships take center stage. “The real agony, she now understands, is this. It’s good things—the book of poems, the sandwich, both kind and thoughtful—speckled with carnage. It’s seeing someone you love splinter away from you, shard by shard. Knowing there are […]
The nitty-gritty: A weird, mind-bending journey into a very strange house, We Used To Live Here is a terrifying puzzle of a story. “If you’ve followed directions properly up to this point, RED LAKE will be bone dry. At its deepest point, there will be a steel hatch in the ground that leads to a […]
The nitty-gritty: A top notch horror story that touches on some tough themes, Incidents Around the House is a scary, emotional and uniquely told tale. “How long do you think we’d have to go without an incident for us to feel back to normal?” This is my first Josh Malerman book, and I have to […]
The nitty-gritty: Snappy dialog and plenty of action (and yes, romance) make Fiasco an excellent sequel that’s tons of fun. “My mother has a blaster taped to her thigh under her skirt and a knife in her bra. I didn’t even give her the knife. She just carries one there. And because she has voluminous […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, complex and magical journey through one family’s odd history, A House Like An Accordion captivated me with its unique ideas and emotional family connections. “Be mindful of the act of creation, and of creating. It carries great beauty, but it exacts a cost.” Every once in a while you read a […]