The nitty-gritty: A creepy, tension-filled story that will keep readers turning the pages, Snow Drowned was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been lucky with YA books lately, and I’m happy to report that Snow Drowned is yet another one I can recommend (with a few caveats). Jennifer D. Lyle knows how to create tension, and I […]
The nitty-gritty: The Hollow and the Haunted is an impressive YA debut with humor, high stakes and a nicely done grumpy/sunshine romance. You probably know I’m not a big YA reader, and when I do read it, it takes a lot to impress me. I’ve seen lots of enthusiastic reviews of The Hollow and the […]
The nitty-gritty: A relentlessly paced survival story, Run is a violent thrill ride from start to finish. Run was originally self published back in 2011, and I’m so glad the publisher decided to reissue it this year. If you’ve read more recent books by Blake Crouch, you’ll see how far he’s progressed as a writer […]
The nitty-gritty: Funny, flirty and fabulous, The Nightmare Before Kissmas is the perfect holiday treat. The Nightmare Before Kissmas was such a pleasant surprise! This is the perfect book for the Fall season, since it deals with both the Halloween and Christmas holidays, and it’s a super sweet romance as well. The overall tone is […]
The nitty-gritty: A fun prequel that delves into themes of marriage and communication, Odd Spirits incorporates magic, spirits and emotional ties, all wrapped up in a beautiful package. Odd Spirits is a prequel novella to Evocation, which I read earlier this year, and focuses on married couple Moira and Rhys. At just over a hundred […]
The nitty-gritty: A highly entertaining debut, American Ghoul excels with standout characters and unexpected humor. You can’t tell from the rather serious cover, but American Ghoul is extremely funny and much more lighthearted than I expected. This is due mostly to the pitch perfect voice of the main character Lavinia, a recently freed slave who […]
The nitty-gritty: Libby Cudmore’s carefully plotted PI story mixes interpersonal drama, music and the emotional pitfalls of addiction. “Junkies will always break your heart.” I have to admit it was the cover of Negative Girl that first caught my attention, and after reading it, I think it perfectly fits this murder mystery that centers around […]
The nitty-gritty: Rachel Harrison takes on vampires in this fun, fast-paced story about friendships and sticking together when life gets tough. The short version: Thelma & Louise with vampires. The long version: I’m a huge Rachel Harrison fan, especially since her last book Black Sheep was one of my top five favorite books of 2023. […]
The nitty-gritty: With larger-than-life characters and an immersive setting, Pay the Piper is an engaging story and an excellent collaborative effort. Ever since reading and loving Whalefall, I’ve added Daniel Kraus to my auto-read author list, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read his latest, a collaboration with the late George A. […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal take on the asylum trope, Crypt of the Moon Spider is an unsettling, shudder-worthy start to a new series. This must be my “week of weird,” because I have a review for yet another very weird book. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did. Crypt of the […]