The nitty-gritty: A young girl navigates a terrifying world in this dangerous and bloody story, full of thrilling adventure and unforgettable characters. “HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE LAST MOMENTS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS: You won’t.” Spoiler ahead for dog lovers. I’ve been lucky enough to read a handful of exceptional books this year, and I’m happy […]
The nitty-gritty: A haunted house story with literary flair and unexpected emotion, Ghost Mother is the must-read ghost story of summer. “People said to me, “I am sorry for your loss,” and they were kind to say that, they were right, it was a “loss,” but somehow I always heard it in my head as […]
The nitty-gritty: 80s nostalgia and slashers come together in this top notch coming-of-age story full of humor, horror and heart. Slashers are in Stephen Graham Jones’ blood, as evidenced by his Indian Lake trilogy and now his latest, I Was a Teenage Slasher. This time we follow the story through the eyes of the killer, […]
The nitty-gritty: Rob Hart delivers a thrilling assassin story with heart, humor and unforgettable characters. Who knew that a story about a deadly assassin who is trying to quit killing people would turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year? Assassins Anonymous surprised me in every possible way, and I can’t […]
The nitty-gritty: Heists, found family and deep space adventure come together in Yume Kitasei’s thrilling space opera. Yume Kitasei has done it again—her sophomore book, after last year’s wonderful The Deep Sky, is just as imaginative and well written, and I may have loved it even more. As the author herself says, this is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Unsettling and eerie, Chris Panatier’s latest is a skillfully written story that delves into the horrors of psychiatric care gone wrong. “Charlotte lurks at the edge of my thoughts, pulling strings in the shadows of my psyche. She is my creation, not the other way around. I say it aloud when I’m alone. […]
The nitty-gritty: Diavola has it all: a creepy, haunted villa, an uncomfortable, dysfunctional family gathering, an ominous Italian setting, and even some jump scares. Come for the well executed folk horror ambiance, stay for the unforgettable characters. “And yet there was something idiosyncratic about Villa Taccola. The whole house suggested pentimenti, original brushstrokes covered over […]
The nitty-gritty: Harrowing and addictive, A Haunting in the Arctic is a frozen, Gothic treat for horror lovers who appreciate a well told tale. “In the mirror opposite, she could see it—her foot was no longer human, but the fin of a cetacean, dark and slick as ink, bringing fresh revulsion every time she looked […]
The nitty-gritty: A remarkable story in so many ways, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut will stick with me for a very long time. What a wonderful surprise this was! I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was a story about a woman and an octopus, but it turned out to be so much more than that. This is […]
The nitty-gritty: Emily Wilde and friends return in this whimsical, magical sequel that succeeds on every level. “I have never felt so spent. Yet I must write what happened—for how else will it be known? Already the details drift from my mind like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind. The price of too much time […]