The nitty-gritty: Carnival horror meets gross-out humor in this wickedly funny, touching tale about memory, friendship and port-a-potties. “And you’re saying he’s coming in through the port-a-potties?” “Portal-potties. Sorta like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.” “Tardis?” “Goddamn, Gaynes, like a time machine.” What if a port-a-potty was a portal-potty? That’s the idea […]
The nitty-gritty: The House on Utopia Way is a weird cabinet of wonders, set in a mind-bending, mystery-filled landscape. “It was a drawn breath of a day, sky the colour of a computer error screen, low wind.” The author told me this book was “too weird” for traditional publishing, but I read and review a […]
The nitty-gritty: Ashley Poston channels the joy of music in this funny, romantic story about following your heart. This is the fourth book in what I’ll call Ashley Poston’s magical realism romances, and I say, keep ‘em coming! Sounds Like Love is an ode to music and finding your passion in life. It’s also about […]
The nitty-gritty: Unexpected twists and laugh-out-loud humor make this assassins-turned-good guys story an excellent sequel. “’Yo, snakes are attracted to sound,’ Booker says. ‘You a herpetologist now?’ I ask. ‘No, but remember that episode of The Simpsons where Lisa used stereo speakers to attract the snakes?’ ‘Okay, you are not a herpetologist. We don’t make […]
The nitty-gritty: A spell gone wrong turns a prince into a horse in this funny (at times) fantasy where the horsey antics are the best part of the story. “Virtue of Mercy. I was married to a horse.” Behooved is a fun and silly romantasy that offers a lot of laughs and some feel good […]
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 weird, thought-provoking alien invasion story, Overgrowth won me over with its ideas but suffered from inconsistent pacing. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Overgrowth, which I’ll attempt to explain below. Overall, this was one of the most unique alien invasion stories I’ve read in quite some time. Mira Grant, who […]
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: 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: 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 […]