Author: Bubble Bubble Books and Trouble

Lil Bootz’s Friday Flop Day: The Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

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The premise of this book and the glowing reviews of it being as creepy as the Blair Witch Project really suckered me into checking it out (thankfully for free via Libby), but boy was I disappointed. I tried, y’all. I really did. I got as far as 50% through the audiobook when I decided to hit the “return early” button. Here’s where it went all kinds of wrong:

The premise it great–a bunch of teenage explorers lost in the woods whilst experimenting with an urban legend in search of a missing girl. My hopes for this story quickly dissipated when I met the main character, Sarah and her slew of friends via tedious direct message threads. Note: these long text conversations do not translate well on audio. Needless to say, I did not enjoy their snarky dialogue, nor did I care much for their personalities in general. The lack of character development is where this book went horribly wrong. We really don’t get under the surface with any of these kids–and there’s way too many of them. It’s like watching a classic teenage B-grade horror movie that makes the audience root for the monsters. The only character with a semblance of depth is Sara, and she’s a real Gloomy Gus. I mean, yeah it’s sad her adopted sister went missing and that she was scorned by her girl-crush, but it was even more sad for me to have to endure her emo attitude. But hey, if you’re into Sylvia Plath, you may enjoy Sara. To each their own.

And then there’s this false promise that this book channels the Blair Witch Project. Sure, there’s a bunch of bickering kids lost in the woods, but that’s the only connection. The genius of the Blair Witch Project is the building suspense of an unseen force that may or may not exist, leaving everything up to the imagination. This book, however, is full of zombie people, ghosts and gates to multiple otherworldly dimensions. Sure it was disorienting, but in a bad acid trip kind of way.

To be fair, I only got halfway through this thing, but from what I could tell, this book was missing a very important element: A villain, either physical or supernatural, that ties the whole legend together. There’s a bunch of rules to follow in order to survive the cursed woods, but what overarching power is casting this spell? What’s the actual “Ghost of Lucy Gallows” legend here? Somewhere before reaching the midpoint of this story, the characters should have figured this out. I mean, it’s good to know what they’re up against, right?

With all the gates to different levels, I felt like I was inside a video game on a mission to capture the damsel in distress from the evil castle troll. But hey, if you’re into that, maybe this book is for you. I’m just not really into fantasy and sci-fi, so it’s not my cup of tea. I’m more into gothic ghost stories and psychological thrillers with supernatural twists.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

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I’m just going to come right out and say that everything Riley Sager writes is gold! This book was especially exciting for me because it’s a classic haunted house story set in an old, dilapidated manor rife with legends and ghostly visitations.

This book is sure to win over fans of the new Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House (a modern twist to Shirley Jackson’s literary masterpiece). We’ve got two time-skipping storylines that revolve around the haunted Baneberry Hall. First, we meet Maggy Holt, a troubled woman who experiences haunted happenings while fixing up Baneberry Hall, in spite of her mother’s dire warnings to never set foot in the cursed place. Then the story skips back 25 years when the Holt family moved into the haunted homestead and experienced a slew of horrific events.

Like the Netflix show, we don’t find out why the family fled the house in dead of night until the very end. And trust me, this one’s a page-turner! Every chapter led to more questions, like why are Maggie’s parents so secretive? Why can’t they tell her the truth as to why they abandoned the house? Why did her father turn their story into a bestselling book filled with lies and embellishments? Can we trust the sexy handyman who seems to know more about Maggie’s inherited house than he lets on? Hell, can we even trust Maggie? Why is her memory so spotty? You’ll have to read the book to find out! It’s definitely worth your while.

It’s hard to say which Riley Sager book is my favorite, but this one is up there! The creepy, gothic atmosphere really ratcheted up the suspense. I especially loved the scene when grown-up Maggie stumbled upon the family graveyard up on the hill behind the house. Such fun!

This was the perfect October read, and I may just dive into it again next October! Until then, I’m moving on to an old gothic classic by the venerable Barbara Michaels.

It Came From the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers

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I miss going to the movies amidst this never-ending pandemic, so I requested this book just to fill in the void just a bit. Clearly ’80s nostalgia is in vogue these days thanks to Stranger Things, and this book delivers on all of those memories of big hair-sprayed bangs, acid wash denim, Walkman radios and Casey Kasem-approved playlists! Oh how I wish I could go back in time for just one day to roller-skate around the rink with my giggling friends to the beats of Tiffany and Janet Jackson…sigh.

That said, if 80s pulp horror movie nostalgia is what you’re looking for, this book’s for you. If you’re solely in it for the scares and psychological horror, get ready to be disappointed. Most of these stories are very tongue-in-cheek, especially when it comes to over-the-top insect monsters. I’m not a big fan of the B-grade movie monsters myself, but I did enjoy the campy atmosphere. Quite a few of these stories have LGBTQ themes, adding a modern twist to the typical teenage prototypes from that bygone movie era devoid of diversity, aside from the token Black kid.

Most of these stories took place in run-down movie houses or seedy drive-ins, so far from the luxurious leather recliner auditorium seats we’re so accustomed to these days. Alamo Drafthouse has ruined me, y’all! Never again can I see a movie at a place that won’t bring me pitchers of beer and gourmet pizzas.

But I digress. Horror movie buffs, do yourself a favor and read this book. You will especially enjoy the one about the strange theater that only serves a special clientele with very refined palettes. It has a Lovecraftian theme and a not-so-happy ending!

Note: I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

CeeCee’s Halloween Treat: The Shadows by Alex North

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Note: I scored the free audiobook on Netgalley, but their app isn’t compatible with any of my devices so I went ahead and scored an audio download from the awesome Austin Library! Thanks, Libby!

This was a fantastic audio experience! The author’s British accent really helped me picture the blue-collar English village and its surrounding haunted woods. I listened to this to scare myself silly on my evening runs around the neighborhood. Maybe not the safest activity, but a girl’s gotta get creative during this time of quarantine, right?

There is something very, very spooky about a group of misfit kids playing around with the dreamworld via witchcraft in order to manifest a red-handed monster with their subconscious minds. Think Slender Man meets Nightmare on Elm Street meets Flatliners! Like I said, it’s freaky stuff!

The book skips from 25 years ago to present day and follows a man named Paul who was a part of the “dream-incubating” group of kiddos until they took things to a whole new level and he had to bail. Good call, buddy. One of the kids gets killed and Paul finds himself walking the earth a haunted, depressed shell of a man. When he returns home to take care of his ailing mom, bad things start happening again in the woods and red hand prints stain his front door! Like I said, this book is creeeeeepy!

While reading it, I kept steeling myself for an anticlimactic ending since the buildup was so dang good. I promise not to spoil anything for you, but I will say that the ending wasn’t a total letdown, but it wasn’t how I wanted things to pan out. It left me feeling more melancholy than scared, really.

Aside from that minor gripe, this book is well worth a read for those of use who love to feel those little hairs stand on end! The writing is top notch, and I will most certainly read his first book “The Whisper Man.”

Pleasant nightmares–and happy Halloween, y’all!

Lil Bootz’s Halloween Treat: The Spook in the Stacks

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In short: Somebody knocked off a wealthy businessman in the rare books section of Lucy Richardson’s beloved lighthouse library during a Halloween-themed book event! All clues point to his mysterious–dare I say shifty–granddaughter Julia, who stands to gain a lot from his demise. 

What I liked: The author did a fantastic job creating a fun, spooky atmosphere around the historic Bodie Island lighthouse. The apparition of a horse appears in the mist and things go bump in the night when the lights go out at the historic, possibly haunted lighthouse. I especially enjoyed the scene where the townsfolk gathered outside the library at night for a special reading of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”–my favorite Halloween tale for a dark and spooky night! 

What irked me: Lucy the librarian is great, but she really needs to stop being so wishy washy about her love life. Connor is a catch, but if the chemistry isn’t there, throw the man back out into the dating pool, woman! 

Also, I have to say that Theodore is downright creepy. I get that he’s Ichabod and Julia is his lady Katrina, but dang boy, back off! Seriously, he was the creepiest part of the story. 

The mystery: As usual, this was another solid installment of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. The murder victim made a lot of enemies among the town’s business community, so there’s a lot of suspects to sort through. I enjoyed tagging along with Lucy and her kitty sidekick Charles (not so much Theodore), as they followed the clues and ferreted out the killer whilst enjoying the haunted happenings around town during All Hallows Eve. Such fun! 

Summed up: I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys literary-themed cozies. Fans of Jen McKinlay and Lorna Barrett are sure to enjoy this cozy Halloweenie read

Lil Bootz’s Halloween Treat: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard

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Next up in our Halloween countdown extravaganza is this fun little cozy mystery that we received for free (in exchange for a brutally honest review)  from NetGalley! Since this is light on scares, Lil Bootz recommends this to all the fraidy cats who love a good, cozy whodunnit.

 

image of book Murder in the Bayou Boneyard One look at this cover and I couldn’t hit the “request” button fast enough! How could I resist this adorable vampire basset hound lurking in a spooky graveyard? I always enjoy returning to Maggie’s historic plantation homestead-turned B&B located in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country. While reading this, I kept picturing Disney’s Haunted Mansion overlooking an overgrown cemetery shrouded by Spanish moss.

Of course, this cozy mystery is light on scares, so it appeals to even the most squeamish of readers, but the author does a fine job weaving a lot of Halloween hijinks into the storyline. There’s a rougarou lurking in the woods, inexplicable happenings in the attic and–even more frightening–nefarious relatives outstaying their welcome at the Crozat Mansion B&B! Bloodthirsty Cajun monsters ain’t got nothing over Maggie’s Canadian relatives, let me tell ya!

I must warn you, there’s a LOT of characters to sort through in this mystery, so it’s quite a challenge keeping them all straight, let alone sorting out the suspects. Since I’ve read all the other books in this series, it wasn’t so hard, but I did find myself flipping back to the list of characters. I love it when they include these little glossaries in cozy mysteries because the struggle is real, yo!

As for the characters, Maggie and her Crozat family are as charming as ever. It’s cute that she and her granny are planning their weddings together. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why the granny’s fiancé never entered the picture. Where was he? Hell, I can’t even remember who she’s marrying, to be honest. Guess I’ll need to look in the previous book to catch myself up to speed. I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of the “spunky grandma” trope in these books. I find them annoying rather than cute, and Maggie’s grandma is walking a fine line…but she does have her moments.

While I’m being nitpicky, I had to roll my eyes at Maggie when she shouted at a suspected killer –who, at the time was brandishing a potential weapon– “Stop in the name of the law!” I know this was supposed to be chuckle-worthy, but it just made me groan.

Gripes aside, this is a quality mystery series filled with Cajun lore, Southern cooking and heartwarming moments. I must warn you: Do not read this on an empty stomach! You’ll get some mad cravings for shrimp gumbo, crawfish etouffee and sugary cakes!

CeeCee’s Short and Shivery Halloween Treats: Clown in a Cornfield

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image of clown in a cornfield

Trick-or-treating may be canceled this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t scare ourselves silly with ghosts, ghoulies and blood-thirsty clowns! Here’s a short and shivery review of Clown in a Cornfield–a new book that’s been getting a lot of buzz from B-movie horror lovers such as myself! If you’re a fan of Pennywise, you’re sure to love this new title. Time to float!

image of Clown in a Cornfield BookWell, well, well, I must say this book took me by surprise! What I thought was going to be a run-of-the-mill YA thriller (low on scares and high on teen melodrama) turned out to be a solid slasher movie-themed thrillride with oodles of blood and guts. It was like reading one of those forbidden B-horror flicks that I’d watch at slumber parties with my giggling friends. Ah such sweet memories of rebellious tweenage bliss.

Amidst the cat-and-mouse chase with killer clowns lurking in the corn fields and dilapidated barns, the author managed to weave some timely themes into the story–themes of small town, small-minded hate and bigotry. The author even spelled it out for us in the townies’ “Make Kettle Springs Great Again” ballcaps. You see where I’m going with this, yes?

So hats off (pun intended!) to the author for weaving some social commentary into this modern-day slasher. You won’t find any big-boobied “bimbos” getting chased through the woods by chainsaw-wielding fiends in this book. Nope, in fact, the female leads are the town’s only hope for survival. There’s even a surprising twist to the love triangle that I didn’t see coming.

The only reason why I knocked off one star is because a big chunk of the book is an action-packed cat-and-mouse chase that demanded a lot of my attention span. I’m probably in the minority here because most reviewers loved the second half of the book, but I’m just not a big fan of chapters and chapters and chapters of action-packed scenes with car chases and exploding buildings. It’s just not my cup of tea.

But, like I said, most people love that stuff, so don’t let my minor misgivings throw you. This book is definitely worth checking out, especially during the spooky month of October!

Lil Bootz’s Meowder Mondays: A Murder She Wrote Reading Roundup!

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Hello and happy Monday! Lil Bootz is here to take the sting out of this detestable day of the week by bringing you stories of murder, mayhem and spooky castles! So take a break from the monotonous emails and enjoy purrusing these cozy mysteries starring none other than our favorite busybody, JB Fletcher!

Death of a Blue Blood

Move over, Downton Abbey! Castorbrooke Castle has more nefarious blue bloods and manipulative housemaids than you can shake a stick at! JB Fletcher and her sort-of boyfriend George Sutherland got more than they bargained for when they arrived at the castle for a posh New Year’s Eve ball. Before the champagne is even popped, she’s already stumbling upon her second dead body. I mean, at some point, she should quit acting surprised when this happens. Without fail, someone croaks when she makes an appearance at a party. I love you, JB, but if I see you entering the room, I’m out. Either way, her festive vacation soon turns into a game of Clue and it’s up to JB and George to solve this thing because the local law enforcement is as worthless as a dead slug.

If you love a good old fashioned whodunit, you’ll enjoy this mystery. There’s even a dead body in the conservatory! There’s a good chance you’ll guess the killer early on, but who cares? It’s all about traveling to far and distant lands (with high murder rates) alongside the ever delightful and fashionable JB Fletcher.

Blood on the Vine

In this wine-infused mystery, I get to travel to Napa Valley! I’ve always wanted to go there but never got around to it…maybe because my husband’s more of a beer guy. Either way, I was able to experience the sites through JB’s eyes as she explored the tranquil vineyards, tasted delicious wine at lovely candlelit restaurants and traversed the touristy village with her Scotland Yard detective buddy George Southerland. If you’re expecting their romance to heat up amidst all the wining and dining, don’t hold your breath. Let’s face it, poor George is and will forever be friend-zoned. JB needs to stop stringing the poor ol’ chap along. There are plenty of single grannies out there who would snatch him up in a heartbeat.  Aside from that minor grievance, I absolutely loved every bit of this book. Similar to her adventures in Castorbrooke Castle, JB is surrounded by a bunch of greedy vultures who all have ample motives for killing off the infamous Bill Laddington. He made a lot of money-—and enemies—during his stint in Hollywood as a big-time movie mogul. And, wouldn’t you know, just hours after JB Fletcher joins him for dinner at his winery/castle, he’s floating dead in his moat! Local law enforcement, again, ain’t worth a hill of beans, so she and George must solve the case…while enjoying a taste of the grape here and there. This was a fun puzzle to piece together, and I must admit that the big unveiling was a surprise this time! This book ranks right up there at the top 10 Murder She Wrote installments, definitely worth a read!

CeeCee’s Book of the Month: The Whispers by Greg Howad

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It’s been a long time since I’ve said this, but this book is close to perfect. This right here is why young adult–even middle grade–books can be more illuminating than your typical mainstream adult novels. This is some powerful stuff—especially for those of us who went through adolescence feeling alone and unwanted. Even if you don’t have any childhood battle scars, this book will bring back some nostalgia from those long summer days chasing fireflies and camping out in the backyard. As for young readers, I hope this story will draw some empathy for the “weird kids” who often sit alone on the school bus.

Little 12-year-old Riley is one of those kids who always gets picked on for being just a little different. I really felt for the poor guy as he desperately tracked down the magical illuminated “Whispers” floating around in the woods—hoping they would lead him to his missing mother, the only person on earth who loved and accepted him and all of his “conditions.” But of course, he wasn’t totally alone because his faithful best friend Tucker stayed right by his side throughout his journey, as dogs do.

While reading this book, I got to thinking about my own four-legged BFF CeeCee Honeycutt, and how she has always, without fail, been my rock. I could totally relate to Riley when he would reach for his dog during tense moments. I mean, this kid is going through a lot—the mystery of his missing mom, bullying, an emotionally-detached dad, homophobic bible-beating townsfolk and even unrequited love! Oh to be a preteen again…no thanks.

Admittedly, I saw what was coming, so I had to put the book aside for a few days. The last few chapters tore me up, but I needed a good cry because as Riley says, sometimes you just need to cry out your entire soul. Again, this is some heavy stuff, but there are some comforting themes that can really stick with you, like the power of unconditional love, self-acceptance and healing.

At that, I’ll leave you with my favorite passage from this book. It’s clear this author truly loves and understands these magnificent creatures we call dogs. And that’s why CeeCee chose this as her book of the month!

P.S. Kudos to the author for helping to bring LGBTQ into the mainstream! This is a brave, yet risky move in a society that still seems to be living in the dark ages, so I applaud him for it.

Jaws by Peter Benchley

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Da dum…da dum…DA DUM DA DUM DA DUM DA DUM—CHOMP!

It’s shark week, y’all! Well…the fin tail end of it anyway, but perfect timing nonetheless for my review of Peter Benchley’s iconic monster hit thriller Jaws! I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched this movie—and it gets scarier with age. Is there anything more terrifying than a massive bloodthirsty shark that can chomp an unsuspecting human into pieces? Sometimes I wonder…all that time at Camp Surf in Imperial Beach, were there any sharks lurking below my feet as they dangled from my surf board? Scratch that thought—I don’t even want to know!

Given my love of horror and my deep-seated fear of sharks, I don’t know why it took me so long to read the book. The movie is just so darn good—a masterpiece even—so I suppose that was enough for me.

image of JawsWell, I hate to say it folks, but the movie is WAAAY better than the book. For the first time ever, I’m advising readers to skip the book altogether. I really thought I was in for a real treat after reading the first horrifying shock scene, but a few chapters later I was rooting for the shark to eat the whole miserable townsfolk of Amity.

Here’s where the movie vastly improved the book: character development. I loved the camaraderie between the stoic Sheriff Brody and the quirky Matt Hooper (all hail the comic genius that is Richard Dreyfuss!). Movie lovers and writers all know and love that iconic scene in the galley where they all showed off their manly scars over beers and laughs with the salty ship captain Clint. In terms of character development, that scene of male bonding is a true work of art. Some even say it’s one of the best movie moments of all time. Why? Because we all got to know the three shark slayers and didn’t want to see them become fish food.

As for the characters in the book…eh, not so much. In fact, I wouldn’t even bother throwing them all a life preserver. A shark’s gotta eat too, you know.  Out of all of them, Sheriff Brody wasn’t the worst, but he was still kind of whiny tool, and then there’s Hooper, a total home-wrecking scumbag with no sense of humor. Perhaps that’s another area where this book is solely lacking. There’s no humor, no salty fisherman wisecracks, no infectious laughter.  If there were, I must’ve missed the punchlines, maybe because they were at the expense of “homos” or “Jews” or “slutty women.” Because yeah, there’s a lot of bigotry and patriarchal overtones thrown into the mix…sigh.

And then there’s Hooper—my most favorite movie character—but a total home-wrecking scumbag in the book. I just about lost it when Clint revealed to Brody that he kills pregnant dolphins to use them and their unborn fetuses for chum—OMG WHAT?! I mean, these literary characters are downright deplorable. Don’t even get me started on Brody’s wife. A third of the book focused on her sleazy affair, which did nothing for the story except keep me hoping that Jaws would get a nice buffet of human body parts.

That said, I must admit that the opening chapter was absolutely horrifying. The way Peter Benchley described that doomed swimmer’s last moments in the open water from the shark’s perspective was nothing short of masterful! I just about lost it when she felt that initial bump and reached down to touch her foot only to feel warm blood spewing from the jagged stump. So if you do crack open this book, just read that opening scene. I promise it will give you the chill bumps and make you second guess that boogie boarding trip!