Welcome to Litsy!

#ReadAway2024 #MarvelousMarch #Readathon

My third & final book for #Roll100 #48 This one was on my #BOTM TBR stack so I‘m happy to have finally read it. I wasn‘t that sure what to expect as it‘s tagged horror/fantasy/mystery/thriller about an urban indigenous woman whose dreams are haunted by her dead mother & a monster. I found it more creepy & chaotic than scary & it was a bit all over the place at times, lots of family drama & secrets that ⬇️

I found this while looking at Megadeth memes & it made me chuckle.
White Horse tells of the horror loving urban Indian Kari James who has recently started having visions of her mother who left when she was a newborn. Kari comes across as abrasive at times with her outsized emotions, but I couldn't help but root for her with her profanity & love of Megadeth. An enjoyable horror novel that I breezed through.

This was trippy. A different read for me but I'm glad I took the plunge.

Completed my personal goal of finishing this story before Halloween.

While I would have enjoyed a few more scary scenes, this book was exceptional. Sad, yet very well done.

There are some sensitive subjects, yet the author did well (in my opinion) on keeping the descriptions to the minimum (which was much appreciated).

A wonderfully spooky story 👏. An unexpected find that will have a permanent place amongst my little library of keepers.

A tour of the Stanley House! An unexpected, sweet treat👏.

Last week was a whole mood wherein I read nothing off any of my tbr lists 😅
White Horse was great Indigenous horror, ill be looking for more by this author!
And this reminds me that I really have to start the buddy read for team #SpookyGhostClub #scarathlon I can't believe it's already the last full week of the month! 😨🎃

This one is the spookiest of my current reads...which was a pleasant surprise 🎉👏.

Really good...really perfect for the spooky season.

There are some light warnings that I will hide in a spoiler comment for those who are interested...I apologize if it doesn't hide, can never tell until I come back later.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

There is a lot to like here - a compelling murder mystery, eerie supernatural elements, interesting Indigenous history and culture, and characters with an edge. I just didn‘t love Kari‘s immaturity or Debby and Jack‘s drama and was confused by some of the family dynamics.🎧

I like this 😊👍.

I would not call this horror, even if the subject matter is horrifying. There are scary parts and I liked the plot. I especially appreciated learning about indigenous culture and spirituality. My favorite were the scenes at the Stanley Hotel. 😜 The themes of trauma recovery and redemption are done well, however, there are elements that got repetitive and didn‘t add to the story. Not an earth-shattering debut, but I would read more from Wurth. 3⭐️

A little late, but here are my reading goals for the #joysofjune readathon! This is a mix of #lmpbc #camplitsy #bookspin and my Stephen King chronological read. Happy Reading, everybody!

I was pleasantly surprised how much I like this book because I do not like the cover art and the description sounded just ok.

The beginning of the book was more enjoyable for me than the second half. I liked the writing style and was interested in getting to know the characters. The second half became more repetitive with Kari‘s actions and thoughts. The ending was interesting and not what I was expecting.

There were parts of this I truly enjoyed, and Wurth wrote some characters I could root for. Other parts I didn‘t enjoy as much and hopefully my #LMPBC won‘t hate me for pointing out a couple of places that didn‘t make sense. Overall this was a #LikeNotLove pick. So interested to read what you all think!

Headed to you later this week @Lesanne ! #GroupB #botmbacklog

Some daisies that bloom in the fall have broken out of the ground.

Tense, confidently told, and spooky. But let‘s be honest — I was sold from the opening cover flap and its mentions of heavy metal and Stephen King. Lots to love here for horror and thriller fans alike.

This feels distinctly Native in its storytelling, and you can see by the GR reviews that people do not understand that.
There are threads that shoot out and may not feel they belong, but the deep cuts of horror media, death metal music, all combine to make Kari a fully flushed out (unlikable as she is) character.
The book itself is not traditionally horror, I didn't find anything in it scary, but it is a societal critique that could be frightening

I loved this. It's indigenous horror mystery. A native woman is given her dead mother's bracelet which offers her visions and leads her to find what happened to her mother who disappeared 2 days after she was born. It did not give me nightmares, despite reading in bed.

This was my last Feb book. I love this cover.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Getting to chat with Erika T. Wurth on Dead Headspace about heavy metal, historic Denver, and what she finds profoundly terrifying was a dream!

Check out my recap here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/erika-t-wurth-on-dead-headspace/

⭐️Ouch. This was not good. Slow, boring and random. I tried too. “It‘s got a great atmosphere” I kept saying, “like Mexican gothic!” No…it was messy, editing wise and craft wise. Random plots thrown in without any outcome or growth toward the story. Just bad. The MC was a mess. How is this lady 35? Should have been made younger to make it believable that this behavior is acceptable. I hate that I hated this. Makes me question BOTMs standards…

Here are my ideas for #GroupB. I tried to pick several genres. I have more if none of these appeal! I‘m so looking forward to reading with you!!

White Horse tagged ⬆️ the rest ⬇️

I have not heard one thing about this book, but I am digging it so far at 50 pages in!! Not much has happened, but the creep factor gets turned up with each chapter! #botm also Kevyn says happy weekend! #dogsoflitsy

I hadn't heard of this one but took a chance on it as a BOTM pick. I'm really glad I did. The cultural lore & historical experiences shared through the story were captivating. I loved the way Wurth wrote Kari's character. She was gritty, haunted, & relatable. This book is part folk story, part ghost story, & a great contribution to the perspective on history & trauma experienced by Native Americans that is often missing from so many books.⭐⭐⭐⭐

The author sure brought back memories of Denver.

I am the biggest scaredy cat, but found this book about family lineage, and negotiating time when your best friend is married and has kids and.you don't, and the histories lost to you when your parents aren't able to share, just really fascinating.

This quote hooked meee. I really like this one. Relatable. Addicting. Does this book spend a lot of time on side plots & Dave Mustaine? Yes. Did I enjoy following Kari as she tried to get her head out of her ass, stay sober, act like an adult, interpret messages from ghosts & find out what happened to her mother? Also yes.

#January #Bookspinbingo @thearomaofbooks

#7 Audio - White Horse/Erika Wurth #bookspin

More mystery w/ paranormal elements compared to horror. This is DARK with lots of triggers (addiction/sexual assault/racism). I did love the insertion of The Shining and visiting the Stanley. Wasn‘t a fan of Debbie storyline think its juxtaposing the big reveal. Interesting read, it felt like a lot was going on but I was going through the trenches to finish.

Took a break from Stephen King to start this today and I am LOVING it so far! I see why this is at 100%

Im only 40 pages in and im hooked!

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth is a tale of secrets that refuse to stay buried…

A slow-burn of a novel, this story takes it‘s time winding around. The paranormal focus was light; sprinkled in enough to keep catching me off guard! Go check this one out!

https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-review-white-horse-by-erika-t-wurth/

#NetGalley #NewRelease

What a great freakin' story! Although at times the writing felt a bit of a mess, and the pacing seemed off, I truly didn't care because the story is so creative and propulsive that nothing else mattered but finding out what happened next.

The Stephen King, metal loving MC, Kari, is now one of my favorite characters ever. Kudos to Erika T. Wurth for this vibrant new horror read.

Another great Indigenous read.

This was different, but in a good way. I flew through this supernatural mystery.

This month‘s #BOTM pick makes for a quick and interesting read! Kari‘s cousin & best friend joins her at the titular dive bar with a bracelet of Kari‘s mother‘s- a woman who disappeared two days after Kari‘s birth. The bracelet winds up leading Kari to the truth about the past- with some strong nods to Stephen King & a lot of musical references along the way. Kari may seem younger than her years at times but her story is a good one! Strong debut!

Currently reading and absolutely obsessing over: White Horse by Erika T. Wurth! If you don‘t have a copy yet, go treat yourself! You deserve it! 🖤🤘

Fun ride of mild horror/ghost story.
Our heroine Kari loves metal, her dad, & her fave dive bar called White Horse.
The bar is ancient & in danger of closing; but Kari wants to buy it & keep it open.
Her dad? He was in an accident shortly after her mother—her dad‘s one true love—disappeared.
And heavy metal? Well, that‘s the book‘s underlying soundtrack—especially anything with Dave Mustaine!

Great pick ft a Native American woman‘s perspective!

Now that is my kind of dedication 😍🤓

“I‘d brought the book with me to the bar, as per my usual — and pulled it out of my bag.”

Mixed feelings about this one, but still a pick. The writing and pacing felt a bit clunky at times and I could have done without the Debby & Jack drama. On the other hand, it was a quick read with a unique narrator and very cool Indigenous horror/ supernatural elements. Overall, glad I added this to my #BOTM box.

Review is up. A little put there but I enjoyed it!

https://reecaspieces.com/2022/11/17/white-horse-by-erika-t-wurth-macmillanaudio-...

“This was why emotions were bullshit. You couldn‘t let them have control of you. You had to stuff them deep inside, and leave them there, sealed.”

A blurb from Silvia Moreno Garcia and Jenny Lawson approved?? Sign me up every time! Can't wait to get into this one. #bookmail

“I can tell she‘s not holding back to seem more interesting, it‘s because all her secrets hurt so much that letting them out will be like dying, just a little bit.
“She wants to know if I‘m worth all of those tiny deaths.”

🎧 I just finished this book.

@Reggie loved it!

MC is a sarcastic, female, Megadeth loving metalhead, Stephen King reading book lover, urban indigenous adult who‘s mom left when she was 2 days old, her dad was in an accident & doesn‘t talk.

It‘s a Native American murder, mystery full of suspense & a tiny bit of horror. I enjoyed it.

Good narration. Gritty quick easy fun read. It‘s a BOTM selection for November, thank you Libby!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3/4

My #BOTM 📦 is here!

Do you ever read something and think it could be way better but then when you‘re done think this is brilliant in a lot of ways you didn‘t give it full credit for? The writing is serviceable, but the story is great! Kari is at her home when her cousin, Debby, brings her a powerful family bracelet that causes Kari to see her mother‘s ghost. A mother who no one has seen since she was 2 days old. Combined with a strong sense of place and culture 👇🏼

Wow, #BOTM is here already! I‘ve never read Quick before, but his newest is the Indie Next List top pick for November so excited to give him a try. The Last Party is set New Year‘s Eve & Day so thinking I‘ll save that for the end of the year. I might dive into tagged right away. Sounds really good!

If I had a 4th spot I would have added The Cloisters. Might need to get that one later.

I skipped #BOTM for November. This is the only one that sounded interesting to me but I'm well aware that I've liked very few of the horror books I've read. Maybe I'll get it from the library one of these days.

Love that #botm has horror and gothic fiction picks again this month. What‘s in your box?

🎃 #BOTM 🎃