Tag: Horror

Two Creepy Yet Confusing Haunted House Books

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We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer: ⭐⭐⭐

What’s with all the confusing haunted house stories lately? I’m all for a dose of creepy ambiguity, but this one veered into full-on carnival funhouse chaos. I’m being generous with three stars because, honestly, the beginning hooked me.

We meet Eve and Charlie, a house-flipping couple settling into a dilapidated old property. While Charlie’s out on a beer run, a family shows up at the door asking to look around their former home. Personally, that’s an immediate nope—especially for anyone alone in the middle of nowhere—but Eve can’t shake her people-pleasing ways. Cue the strangers making unsettling comments, overstaying their welcome, and then—oh boy—one of the kids disappears into the basement.

Up to this point, the eerie foreshadowing had me glued to the pages. But then the story swerved hard into alternate-universe territory, and my head started spinning. Way, way, way too much was happening, and not in a good way. I’m not a fan of fantasy horror, so this detour wasn’t my jam.

The ending left me scratching my head rather than shivering in ghoulish delight. That said, plenty of readers are raving about this book, so maybe it’s just me. If you love cosmic horror, you’ll probably eat this up. For me, though, it was a promising start that unraveled into confusion.

The Babysitter Lives and Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham Jones ⭐⭐⭐

Nobody—and I mean nobody—writes like Stephen Graham Jones. His imagination is wild, his characters are messy yet endearing, and his BRUTAL death scenes. Few authors can craft a final girl as fierce and rage-fueled as he does.

Most of his protagonists are Indigenous teenage girls navigating broken homes, poverty, and systemic oppression. That’s true for the fearless heroines in both novellas, Killer on the Road and The Babysitter Lives. Of the two, Killer on the Road easily takes the crown for me. Think Death Proof meets Jeepers Creepers meets Joyride: nonstop action and sheer terror along the Wyoming trucker highway with a cannibalistic monster stalking the asphalt. Some of those death scenes will haunt me forever—especially when I’m driving a lonely stretch of road flanked by semis.

The chase kicks off when a runaway hitchhiker crosses paths with some god-fearing Bible thumpers, only to later find them dead in a ditch. From there, she and her friends spiral into a series of very, very bad decisions—resulting in a massive truckstop fire. Once they hit Highway 81, all hell breaks loose, and the ride is pure nightmare fuel. Did I love this story? Mostly yes, but the ending didn’t give me the answers I needed. Ugh!!! I wasn’t too keen on the teenagers’ reckless endangerment, and I certainly could’ve done without some of these scenes involving innocent dogs. But overall, it’s highly entertaining.

As for The Babysitter Lives, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I went in expecting a creepy babysitter horror story, but what I got instead was a strange blend of fantasy horror—complete with time loops, alternate worlds, and an unreliable narrator. Much of it felt confusing, and I often had to reread passages just to piece together what was happening.

Despite plenty of action unfolding throughout Charlotte’s nightmare, the pacing dragged, and at times the story felt overly long and, dare I say, a bit dull. On the bright side, Charlotte herself was a standout. Her determination to protect the kids was fierce, and I couldn’t help but think Laurie Strode would be proud.

Sadly, I missed Stephen Graham Jones at the Texas Book Festival. After running a ten-mile race that morning, I had zero energy left for the downtown gauntlet of driving, parking, and endless walking. Ugh! I’d love the chance to tell him how much his characters mean to me, especially his ruthless final girls. There’s something about them that resonates deeply…maybe it’s that simmering, repressed rage. Jones has a gift for capturing complex emotions that are nearly impossible to put into words, and he does it with such rawness and humor.

I wish I’d snagged his autograph this time, but maybe he’ll make a stop at BookPeople one of these days. Fingers crossed!

Four Stars for Paul Tremblay’s ‘Another’

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Trigger Warning: Mushrooms 🍄 (Seriously, Why?)
Okay, first things first—why did no one warn me about the mushrooms? I mean, yuck. How do people eat those things without questioning their life choices? But once I got past the fungal horror, I dove into what turned out to be a stellar middle-grade horror novel. Sure, I’m a few decades past the target age group, but how could I resist a story from the twisted genius behind A Head Full of Ghosts?

Summed Up (No Spoilers, Promise):
Casey’s going through a hard time after a humiliating online classroom incident leaves him isolated and friendless. Things take a bizarre turn when a mysterious stranger shows up at his doorstep with an unexpected houseguest: a waxy, practically faceless boy named Morel. He doesn’t eat. He doesn’t sleep. He’s definitely not normal. Who—or what—is Morel? You’ll have to read to find out.

What Worked:
This book is unsettling in the best way—even for the young at heart!! Paul Tremblay doesn’t know how to write not creepy, and I’m grateful for that. The story kept me guessing, which is rare in middle-grade horror, a genre that often leans on predictable tropes. What are the dark forces swirling around Morel? Why is his appearance shifting so rapidly? And what’s going on with Casey’s parents, who seem to be drifting into some kind of dazed oblivion? I tore through this in one afternoon because I had to know.

Thoughts on Character Development:
Tremblay doesn’t just deliver scares—he builds characters you care about. Casey’s loneliness, his awkwardness, his desperate need for best friend – it all brings back so many memories from my mispent youth. He’s also navigating life with a visible disability, which Tremblay handles with authenticity. Seriously, so many YA authors need to take notes because it seems like they’re just ticking off some boxes to stay on top of the trends.

Final Verdict:
This debut middle-grade horror novel is eerie, emotionally resonant, and totally absorbing. Young readers will find themselves in Casey’s struggles—and older readers will appreciate the creepy foreshadowing and twist ending!

Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas: Horror Books to Read by the Fire

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Good gracious! It’s been a long, long time since my last post! Why must life get so darn busy this time of year? Now that I have a sliver of time to give my little book blog some love, I’m happy to bring you this little roundup of four-star spooky reads…and sadly a few flops.

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

Rarely do I DNF novellas and short stories, but sometimes I just can’t soldier on. I can’t put my finger on it, but this story couldn’t hold my attention. The characters were just too depressing, and I couldn’t tell where this story was even going. While working their night shifts, they formed some sort of cemetery meetup club. At some point, they find the caretaker digging an open grave and decide to investigate him. The premise sounds fun and spooky, but it really didn’t do anything for me. I guess you can say I wasn’t digging it—ha!

The Haunted by Danielle Vega

Oh wow—this was really bad. I’m sorry but claiming this is the “Stephen King of YA” is beyond absurd. The book started off like any campy teen horror movie: a young girl moves into a haunted house with her family and instantly falls into the cool kid crowd. Things start to go bump in the night, and she soon learns that she’s living in a murder house. Sounds fun, right? Just when I thought I might enjoy this book, the author decides to throw in all the annoying tropes. Yep, that means insta-love, a bad boy Vs. good boy love triangle, and a milquetoast “Mary Sue” main character. And then there’s the end! Oh my stars—what a mess! The reveal made little sense, and not clues were dropped along the way to give us readers a chance to piece it together. Not cool, man. I think I’ll go ahead and take the rest of Danielle Vega’s books off of my TBR pile.

Small Town Horror by Roland Malfi

This is my first Ronald Malfi book, which is nuts because I love paranormal horror stories. A YouTube book reviewer likened the storyline to Stephen King’s “It,” so how could I not give this a shot? The storyline involves a group of high school friends reuniting in their dreary small town to ward off evil, which sounds familiar, I’m sure. However, the characters, the town, and the evil forces are far different from Stephen King’s seminal classic. Instead of an evil clown, we’re dealing with witchcraft, curses, and a haunted house with something nasty festering in the basement—such fun! This is a solid horror story set in an isolated seaside town that seems to be shrouded in dread. Think “Midnight Mass” meets “It” meets “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Loved it!

The Safe Man: A Ghost Story by Michael Connelly

This right here is why I can’t quit Audible. Even though I get free audiobooks on Libby and Hoopla, I still can’t get these treasures anywhere else. I’ll confess: this is my first Michael Connelly story, and boy howdy am I impressed! This guy can pen a fantastic ghost story with clever little twists. I enjoyed the entire storyline of a downtrodden locksmith who gets roped into opening a cursed safe. Soon, he and his client (a pompous best-selling horror writer) must close the portal they opened to escape impending doom. Such fun! I loved the ghostly visits and the all-around creepy vibes. This is an amazing full-cast production that is perfect for a long car ride.

31 Books of Halloween: ‘Horror Movie’ by Paul Tremblay

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I must admit, it took me a minute to get into this story. It was all just so very strange, and I couldn’t get a handle on the shifting timelines, mixed media and odd characters—particularly the unreliable narrator. All that aside, this book is a classic Paul Tremblay, and I mean that in the best possible way. Here are my thoughts:

The gist: A group of friends reunite to make a low-budget arthouse horror movie that (aside from a few disturbing clips) never sees the light of day. It becomes a cult classic/cursed film, launching the one surviving cast member (starring as the “Thin Kid”) into notoriety. The story flits from the 90s (during the making of the film) to the present (when the big-time Hollywood producers reboot the film). The chapters also flit from the MC’s narrations to screenplay scenes involving three sadistic teens torturing the “Thin Kid.” It gets pretty wild, especially when you discover their grand scheme!

The scares: I have to be vague because this book is too easy to spoil, but I will say that there are about five pages describing a horrifying scene (and the existential thoughts it conjures amongst the viewers). Do you remember that scene from “It Follows” when the terrified teens watch and wait for a monster to cross through the threshold? Well, this part of the book is even scarier! Oh, and I should mention there is some serious body horror going on here! We’re talking severed fingers, bloody torture and third-degree burns—yeesh!

The characters: I’ll be straight with you. The MC and his group of filmmaker friends (Cleo, Valentina and Karson) are not likeable. Yet somehow, I was still fascinated with their stories and yearned to know what led to their fate. It got to the point where it was hard to tease them apart from the demented characters they played on screen. This also includes the MC, who has no direction, drive, self-worth or purpose. He lets others push him around, which never ends well for anyone, does it?

The ending: I’ll keep this short and free of spoilers, but I will say that the ending was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING! Of course, there’s some ambiguity regarding the supernatural Vs. mental illness, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Overall: This book is unsettling in so many ways! Not only am I bothered by the motives of the filmmakers, I’m also questioning the thoughts I didn’t even know I had whilst enjoying my favorite horror movies. This is next-level horror that I didn’t see coming. Well done, Mr. Tremblay.

31 Books of Halloween: When Ghosts Call Us Home

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Number six on my 31 Books of Halloween countdown (yikes—I have some catching up to do!), is a total dud that I should’ve DNFed: When Ghosts Call Us Home). Yowza—this was a real turkey, which is such a disappointment because the premise checks all the boxes: A haunted sea cliff mansion; a viral found footage movie; and a haunted girl searching for clues to her missing sister whilst starring in the second installment of the ill-fated viral movie. There’s so much to unpack here, so let’s get cracking:

What I liked: The cover art is stunning! It’s so beautiful and creepy with elements of the story—ballet shoes, ocean waves, haunted houses—woven in. Chef’s kiss to the artist.

The scares: It’s weird. Even though all the horror elements were there (evil demon, possession, ghostly masquerade balls, etc.), this book was anything but scary. This book is 95% inner monologue, and I just grew tired of being inside Sophie’s head. Every page is packed with repetitive emotional descriptions of fear and dread, causing my eyes to glaze over. I get the feeling this author was trying to channel Eleanor from The Haunting of Hill House, yet the execution was all wrong.

The main character: While trudging through this thing, I realized that I need to veer away from mopey teenage characters. We are inside Sophie’s head the entire time—and it’s a total downer, man. There’s very little dialogue, so the periphery characters are barely even one-dimensional. There’s nothing to like about Sophie, other than her steadfast quest to find her missing sister. But even then, I ask why? The missing sister, Layla, put her through hell while filming her notorious movie, which makes me wonder why we should care about her salvation?

The viral film: I’m having a VERY hard time believing that a teenage kid could have the wherewithal to create a hit film with no background in filmmaking whatsoever. I mean…there’s special effects, crazy horror movie angles, epic dance scenes. How is any of this remotely believable? Also, we get no information about how she filmed, edited, and distributed this thing all by her little self. I get that demonic forces are at work here, but do they have skills in Final Cut Pro? And then the “V-Head” cult following was just absurd. Adding to the ridiculousness is some sort of dark website that challenges users to follow “The Path” to find the missing sister (insert eye roll emoji here).

Overall: I’d complain about wanting my money back, but I read this thing for free thanks to my best friend, Libby! Despite its alluring premise, the pacing is slow and drab. A lot of action is packed into the ending like the author needed to rush through it to meet a deadline. I didn’t understand how everything was resolved so quickly, but to be honest, I was just relieved it was over. Yeesh.

31 Books of Halloween: ‘Frozen Charlottes’ by Alex Bell

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I saw this book featured on BookTube and knew I just had to read it! I mean how could you go wrong with ghostly dolls, a haunted English estate, and a Ouija game gone bad? Here are my thoughts:

The gist: After an ill-fated Ouija game (there’s an app for that!), Sophie goes off to stay with her uncle and cousins in a secluded estate that once served as a boarding school for girls. Sadly, the aunt is unavailable because she’s in a mental health facility! Spooky things happen when creepy dolls whisper to themselves and things go bump in the night!

The scares: For a YA book, this is pretty darn scary! When I got to the part where the dolls–the Frozen Charlottes–started whispering bad things to each other, I had to look over my shoulder a few times just to be sure I was truly alone. I love that the story is set on an island shrouded by fog and mystery–such fun! Then there’s the parrot, Dark Tom, who randomly screeches and rants about murder and mayhem. Yikes!

The mystery: I’ll admit, I saw the twist coming a little early on, but that didn’t detract from the suspense, especially when the evildoer started to spiral. This book has some intense body horror scenes involving eyeballs and needles. After reading this, I’m going to stay far, far away from porcelain dolls.

Overall: This is an atmospheric ghost story that’s just perfect for spooky season. I loved the ending, which hinted at another installment in the series. We haven’t seen the last of these mischievous, murderous frozen Charlottes!

Spooky Reads: Riley Sager’s ‘Middle of the Night’ Review

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Next up in my 31 Books of Halloween reading roundup, I’m reviewing Riley Sager’s latest twisty thriller, Middle of the Night! This might be somewhat of an unpopular opinion (y’all are hard on him on Goodreads!), but I love his work. This one is great for spooky season because there are a lot of paranormal elements weaved into the mystery, including a creepy “science” institute just around the block, creepy figures lurking in the woods, and cryptic messages from the dead. Here are my thoughts:

The gist: Our protagonist, Ethan, camps out in his backyard and wakes up to find the tent slashed and his best friend gone! Thirty years later, he returns to his childhood home and finds himself in the middle of a mystery when his dead best friend, Billy, sends messages from beyond the grave. He soon learns many people in his upper-class suburban neighborhood have something to hide—including Billy.

What I Liked: The paranormal element took this mystery to the next level. I love a good ghost story, especially when restless spirits are seeking justice! What more could you ask for during spooky season? I also loved that this story took the safest place you could think of—an upper-class, tight-knit suburban neighborhood—and turned it into a place of nightmares! This is the kind of book that makes me check my windows and doors at night…which is a good thing because I’m a weirdo who loves being scared.

What Irked Me: My one and only gripe is the overly precocious kid. When Ethen moves back home, he reunites with his former babysitter, and crush, who is the mother of a highly intelligent, well-read child. Why do authors use this gimmick so much? Maybe this is a way to add to the kid’s likeability, but I find it to be unrealistic and annoying.

Thoughts on the main character: Ethan is a little mopey and withdrawn, yet I warmed up to him when he started interacting with the kid genius next door. We don’t really know much about him, other than he worked as a teacher, yet he doesn’t care too much for kids. Now that I think about it, it was hard connecting with a character who has zero interests and passions. He just chose that profession to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Mostly his entire life has been haunted by that fateful night, so that’s about all we know about him. There’s a side plot involving his wife, but I figured out the “tiwst” to that little mystery right away.

Overall thoughts: This is a solid paranormal thriller packed with shady suspects, making me wonder about the neighbors I wave “hello” to while walking my dog. I’m just glad I don’t live within walking distance of a creepy science institute hidden deep in the woods.

Disappointing Horror Reads: ‘The House that Horror Built’ Review

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October is here, and I’m excited to embark on my lofty 31 Books of Halloween reading extravaganza! First up is my most recent read, “The House that Horror Built.” The premise and the cover drew me in, so why not give this author one more chance? I DNFed “The Horseman” because it was the silliest version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” that I’ve ever encountered, but perhaps it could’ve been a fluke, right? Not so much. This one was a supreme dud as well. Let’s get into it:

The Gist: A downtrodden single mom, Harry, takes a job as house cleaner for a famous horror movie director. Imagine a disgraced Wes Craven who stopped making slashers due to a scandal involving a missing wife and son. Ooooh—intrigue! His house if full of movie props that torment Harry while she’s dusting and mopping.

What I liked: I really wanted to like this book because the setup is just so creepy cool for us horror movie fans who would love to have a peek inside a legendary director’s creepy mansion. So, the one and only aspect of this book that won me over was the spooky haunted mansion atmosphere.

What irked me: This book is a slow burn, and not in a good way. The burn was more of a spark that fizzled out almost immediately. Most of it had to do with Harry’s backstory, which seemed like a lot of filler that had little to do with her situation in the haunted mansion. Then, when the plot starts cooking toward the tail end of the book, I was hit with such a silly ending that was, quite frankly, unimaginative. I was hoping for some sort of resolution for Harry and her precocious 14-year-old son, Gabe (seriously, no kid talks like this), but it all came to a screeching halt. Rude!

What confused me: Okay, I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty good at adding single digits. When Harry and Gabe moved into the director’s sprawling mansion, they had to put a twin bed in the library for the kid. Umm…how is this a mansion? Another thing that perplexed me was Harry’s financial predicament. She spotted the well-to-do biological father in town, so she can easily find him and sue him for child support. Why was this not a thought, especially when they were teetering on the verge of homelessness?

Overall thoughts: This book was a complete waste of time. If you want an atmospheric haunted house book, check out “Naomi’s Room” by Jonathan Aycliffe or “Woman in Black” by Susan Hill. Plus, you can never go wrong with the classics by Shirley Jackson and E.F. Benson.

Top 5 Must-Reads: Magical Cats, Vampire-Slaying Southern Women, and Creepy Ghosts Galore

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Wowza—it’s been a minute since my last post. I’ve had a rough go of it lately with the whole job-loss thing and equally depressing job-search thing. Life sure can throw some curveballs, eh? Either way, we’re here to have fun, so let’s talk five-star reads! Here are some highlights from my spring 2024 reading list: 

Nimbus by Jan Eldredge 

Cat lovers, you’re in for a treat! This is such a cute book with magical felines, a kind-hearted witch, and the cutest little sweater-wearing, Shakespeare-quoting rat sidekick! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was completely invested in little Nimbus’s homeward-bound journey. Fantasies aren’t really my cup of tea, but I made an exception for this one. The cover alone sold me. I mean, how could I turn away from those adorable little faces? The evil dream demons were terrible, but the worst characters were the cruel humans dumping their pets. Nimbus’s newfound friends have tragic backstories involving human cruelty, which can be hard to read, but the kind-hearted witch, Agatha, renewed my faith in humanity, reminding me that there’s a lot of good in this world. I loved getting to know each of the resident cats–even the grumpy ones–through Nimbus’ magical dream-walking escapades. They’re all quite fascinating, and I’m rather fond of the tubby calico, Fern, and her stuffed squirrel toy. This story is just too cute and the ending was the cat’s meow!

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan 

This book was a fun—and much-needed—surprise that arrived at my doorstep, thanks to my sister! She even sent me a Disney cats throw blanket so I could cozy up with a good book during my dark days of sudden unemployment. Isn’t that the nicest thing? Anyhoo, this book proved to be the perfect distraction with its cast of vampire-slaying Southern women. Judging by the cover, I was expecting more of a light paranormal romance, but this book was SCARY!!! Yo! I was not expecting grisly scenes of vampires/zombies (a hybrid, I guess?) tearing people apart. This is NOT a cozy little Southern romantasy, people! Lucky for me, I absolutely love gross horror stories with feral, non-sparkling vampires terrorizing the town. I also loved that this story centered around four generations of vampire-slaying women. One of whom has a dark secret that comes out later in the book…when things get real. Whilst protecting the town from the newly-turned vampire/zombies, they sort out their family drama issues, and boy does it get messy. Think Steel Magnolias meets 30 Days of Night meets Six Feet Under. Loved it!!!

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowman

Once again, I’ve realized I can never go wrong with a Royal Spyness mystery. I only “read” these books via Audible because the narrator cracks me up with the characters’ voices. Since watching “Emily in Paris” (please don’t judge me!), I’ve been drawn to books that transport me to this fascinating city with streetside cafes, dazzling cityscapes, and croissants galore. Naturally, this story surrounds a fashion show by none other than Cocoa Chanel!  Hijinks ensue when Lady Georgianna stumbles upon a dead body at a VIP runway show and soon becomes suspect number one! Seriously, the detectives in these books are always so clueless. I mean really…why would a pregnant British woman come to Paris to kill a complete stranger? Is it terrible that I was happy the murder victim turned out to be a pushy, entitled, “new money” woman who thought she could buy her way into everything? Ugh…Americans! Anyways…I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical whodunnits that are heavy on comedy and light on mystery.

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

I love, love, love a slow-burn horror story, but only if it’s done well. It could be ruined with an underwhelming ending or turn into a convoluted, confusing mess. Lucky for me, this book delivered a dark, creepy ending that left me wanting more. The premise alone gives me the willies! Imagine going to a sparsely populated island with secretive townsfolk who are all living in a time warp. There are just SO MANY QUESTIONS! Why don’t the townsfolk ever leave the island?  Why did an outsider’s dead son scribble “Clifford Island” on the floorboards of his bedroom right before he died? Why do the islanders participate in strange daily rituals? And why is it so scary for them to deviate from their routines? What’s out there in the woods peeking inside of windows??? All these questions had me glued to the pages—and boy was I creeped out. We’re dealing with different narrators throughout the book: Willow, the interloping woman trying to solve the puzzle of her dead son’s cryptic note; and Harper, Willow’s brother searching for his missing sister—a quest that gets darker and stranger by the day. Slow-burns aren’t for everyone, but I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with creepy, ghostly stalkers lurking in the woods.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix 

Kakaweeeeeee! Oh my goodness, y’all, this book was a hoot! With his mix of comedy and horror, Grady Hendrix is an acquired taste. For the most part, I avoid horror satire, but Grady Hendrix is an exception because his characters and storylines are just so entertaining. This one revolves around a divorced single mom who’s summoned back to her dreaded family home to take care of her dead parents’ affairs. To make matters worse, she must deal with her deadbeat brother who is a real piece of work. He carries some deep-seated disdain for his sister, and we soon learn why as the memories of their bizarre childhood start to unfold. Something is VERY WRONG with that house, and it all boils back to their eccentric mother’s love of puppets. One puppet in particular is Pupkin, a demonic toy that tends to take control of its handlers! Think Slappy from Goodbumps meets the Exorcist. Things escalate very quickly—power tools are involved. Seriously, this book would make one heck of a movie. Despite the comedy aspect, this book has some very creepy parts, especially the childhood flashback of Pupkin whispering in ears and forcing people to do some bad things. Trust me, it’s intense!

Princess Belle’s Reading Slump Roundup

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Reading slumps are never fun. 😦 That’s why I’m starting this off with some good news! I have added a new editorial assistant to my staff. Meet Princess Belle! She comes to the Bubble Bubble Books and Trouble Publishing House by way of Pflugerville Pets Alive. Adopt, don’t shop, folks!

Now for the bad news…it’s been a year of DNFs and one-star books. There’s been a few stellar reads sprinkled in the mix, which I’ll get into in a later post, but for now I must bring you my biggest flops of 2024 thus far.

The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb

I read this all the way through because Wendy Webb’s characters are always interesting, and her atmospheric descriptions of Wharton, Minnesota transport me to such a lovely place. I’ve been to Duluth (Wharton’s neighboring town) a couple of times to run the Grandma’s marathon (well, half marathon for me since I’m only half crazy…har har har), and I just fell in love with the idea of living in such a beautiful, yet sometimes spooky town right on Lake Superior. Anyhoo, I enjoyed the escape, but the story left much to be desired.

The mystery of the haunted artist studio took a backseat (we’re talking waaaaay in the back of a bus) to the romance between Tess and her new boyfriend. Apparently, he can do a little bit of everything, including assisting the resident ghost hunters next door. How convenient! So yeah, this is a sloooooooow, meandering read, yet I didn’t hate it. I did. However, the big reveal was vastly underwhelming. It was tacked on at the very end of the book in an info dump. Clearly, Miss Webb had a deadline and needed to hastily wrap things up!

If you’re looking for a gothic ghost story with a twist, give this a pass. But this might be a good read for someone who needs an escape to a quaint, wintery town full of kindly neighbors, good food and ice skating parks!

The House on Royal Street by Karen White

Karen White has quite the following for her “Tradd Street” series and hundreds (maybe thousands?) of glowing reviews. Clearly, she appeals to many readers who enjoy her meandering writing style. Me? Not so much.

Yeesh…this was bad, guys. I mean, where do I begin? We’re dealing with a cast of white-bread characters; the only people of color are construction workers who are nicknamed “the two stooges.” I don’t know if I’m being overly sensitive here, but that left a bad taste in my mouth. The ghostly mystery plot goes on all thesase meandering twists and turns that have nothing to do with the cold case mystery that needs solving to send the ghosts to the beeamign white light! Somebody, please call the Ghost Whisperer already!

And then there’s the antiquated “Southern Belle” attitude that harkens back to the bygone era when women were trained to sit up straight and act like “ladies.” A plucky, feisty Southern Belle side character keeps dropping patriarchal bits of wisdom like, “women should wear clothes tight enough to show off their figures, but not tight enough to no longer look like a lady.” And then there’s the main character…sigh.

Nola, has a lot going on. She’s an architectural engineer, a home renovator, a recovering alcoholic, a lover of spreadsheets, and a vegan living in the Big Easy—land of sausage jambalaya and crawfish boils. Readers will continuously be reminded of her vegan diet because she’s constantly picking food out of her plate, ordering tofu or avoiding eating altogether. I fully support veganism, but do her dietary restrictions need to be drilled into our heads in every chapter?

The author also wants to make it very clear that Nola is thin, beautiful and the object of desire for every man who crosses her path. I don’t have much to say about the haunted historic cottage because there’s not much to that cold case mystery. But I will say that this series is a one-and-done for me. Nola really got under my skin, especially when she micromanaged her contractors on her stupid spreadsheet by scheduling potty breaks. No wonder she couldn’t keep anyone on staff. Woof.


All Hollows by Christopher Golden

This was my second ho-hum Christopher Golden horror novel, and sadly it is my last. The man comes up with some great concepts but can’t deliver a good, campy horror story. This one checks all the boxes: Halloweenie book cover with a glowing jack-o-lantern: check! Halloween night slash-and-stalk horrors: check! Good old-fashioned 1980s trick-or-treating vibes: check! But yet, nothing about this book worked.

Here’s what went wrong: The book is 80% domestic drama (cheating spouses, money troubles, teenage crushes, etc.). Adding to the ick-factor is some pedophilia. Yuck. I could’ve done without that bit of grossness.

The characters weren’t very likeable or relatable, probably because there are too many narrators. I just couldn’t root for any of them, so it wasn’t a big deal when the “Cunning Man” and the evil costumed ghost children started knocking them off. If you’re looking for something spooky for Halloween, pick up a classic like “Something Wicked This Way Comes” or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

The Haunting by Natasha Preston


WTH? I thought this would be a slam dunk five-star read because “The Lake” was such a fun thriller, and surely I found a new favorite YA horror author. Nope! I’m failing to understand why this is titled “The Haunting.” Someone—anyone—please explain! There are no ghosts or paranormal happenings, just a gaggle of teenagers running around from one place to the next with a masked killer on the loose.

This is “Scream,” but without the snappy dialogue and interesting characters. With all the frenetic scenes of car crashes and fires, I’m still bored. The main character constantly gets scolded by her sort-of boyfriend for not eating. Why is this a constant thing throughout the book? We get it; she’s not good at self-care and throws herself in danger with reckless abandon. I wish I cared for her welfare, but nope.

I enjoyed a few atmospheric Halloweenie scenes, like being stalked by a killer in a haunted forest, but those thrills were few and far between. If you’re looking for a ghost story, this isn’t it. Don’t be fooled by that title!

Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban


I must confess, I had to DNF this at the 40% mark, so I have no idea how it all ended. There could very well be a very meticulously plotted twist, but I just couldn’t waste any more of my time on this turkey. I’m a good three hours into this audiobook, and nothing important is happening on this dang cruise ship. It’s just middle school-level drama with a lot of “he said, she said” drivel. Jade, the MC, is stuck on a “semester abroad” cruise ship with her cheating BFF and BF. Oh boo hoo, how horrible it must be to explore Western Europe on a luxury liner while getting academic credit.

Anyhoo, she has been mysteriously shunned by the two lovebirds, and throughout the cruise, they all cast each other dirty looks. Jade is confused as to why they hate her with a burning passion. Clearly, she did something terrible, and maybe we’ve got ourselves an unreliable narrator. Who knows? I guess they couldn’t stand her incessant whining. There’s an equally annoying cast of secondary characters who all have their own little gimmicks. One is trying to be a YouTube star (insert eye-roll emoji here), another is a glamorous, wealthy influencer, and then you’ve got the brooding bad boy with mysterious secrets.

They’re all supposed to be in college, but they seemed very middle-grade to me. I guess I’ll never know who killed Jade’s former bestie and why, but that’s cool. There are plenty of whodunnits on my TBR that might actually follow a cohesive plot! So there you have it! If you’re looking for a good YA mystery on the high seas, skip this and try “Death Sets Sail” by Robin Stevens.