The nitty-gritty: A twisty take on the haunted house trope, We Live Here Now oozes creepy atmosphere and suspense. “There are no ghosts at Larkin Lodge.” Sarah Pinborough’s latest is a haunted house thriller with a twist, and I had a bunch of fun with it. While some of the haunted house elements are ones […]
The nitty-gritty: A most unusual haunted house story, The Staircase in the Woods is an unhinged, psychological mystery that explores personal terrors and complicated friendships. “We’re all just empty houses waiting for this monster to move in and take us over.” Chuck Wendig’s latest is a creepy, unsettling haunted house/possession story with multifaceted characters and […]
The nitty-gritty: Little Shop of Horrors meets The Ruins in this weird love story, perfect for readers who enjoy body horror and atmospheric writing. “I unfolded my green shoots and vines onto the tabletop like compassionate little garden snakes, and I wrapped them up her arms and shoulders and throat like the lover I am, […]
The nitty-gritty: An uneven but solid bunch of stories, I was ultimately won over by three that were very good indeed. This is my first time reading a collection of Amazon original stories, and overall it was a fun experience. Below I’ll give a brief review and rating of each of the five stories. Let […]
The nitty-gritty: A kooky, feel-good road trip story set in a Matrix-like world, When We Were Real explores the meaning of life in a humorous, heartfelt way. “Getting inebriated inside a sim was like turning yourself into a cartoon—and then turning on your cartoon television to watch the Simpsons watch Itchy and Scratchy.” Not only […]
The nitty-gritty: The detective story meets the gritty streets of Los Angeles in this thrilling, fast-paced and laugh-out-loud story. I had a lot of fun with the last Nick Kolakowski book I read (Absolute Unit), so I wasn’t surprised that Where the Bones Lie was a blast to read as well. PI/crime/detective novels aren’t my […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, locked room murder mystery set in an impossible house, Rose/House is a beautifully written puzzle of a story. “There is, as there has always been for Selene inside one of Basit’s buildings, a sense of hypnosis. Of being led, of being let into a a secret, a series of revelations, stripping […]
The nitty-gritty: Humor, action and romance combine in this latest entry in Constance Fay’s absurdly fun sci-fi series. This is the third book in Constance Fay’s Uncharted Hearts series, and Chaos is another adrenaline-fueled story with lovable characters and plenty of humor. I did have a few issues with pacing and logistics this time, although […]
The nitty-gritty: John Scalzi takes an absurd idea and adds humor, heart and thoughtful commentary about life in this fast-paced, engaging “what if” story. You can always count on John Scalzi to come up with fresh ideas, even if they’re waaay out there (literally, in this case), and that’s what you get with When the […]
The nitty-gritty: A generation ship is the setting for this cozy space mystery, a series opener that explores memories and leaving home. Murder By Memory is a fun, imaginative generation ship story with an intriguing mystery at the center and the perfect book to curl up with for a couple of hours. This is my […]