Welcome to Litsy!

“We worshipped gods of our choosing. Satan. Christ. America. Celebrities. Capitalism. Clean living. The New England Patriots. La Croix.”

Soft Pick
The main character; Vesper, was great. The overall metaphor & message isn‘t particularly striking, 1/2 the plot seemed to be nonsense that was inconsequential to the main theme & resolution. But Harrison‘s mix of horror & humor is impeccable

Rachel Harrison is fast becoming one of my favourite authors in the horror/fantasy space.Our main character,Vesper,left her family behind years ago .Now in her mid-twenties, she is still struggling in her waitressing job, has no real friends, acts reserved, too straightforward, and a little abrupt/mean, making it hard for her to connect with other people.A very entertaining dark humoured horror read that I couldn't put down. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely loved this book!

Vesper escaped her family many years ago.
Who can blame her ? After all, her dad is Satan himself !!!

Very predictable. I give it 3 paws. 🐾🐾🐾

I went to my local indie bookstore A Great Notion in Auburn, MA because they were having a big used book sale - 5 for $3 mass market paperback and buy 3 get 2 free all other used & I went to the thrift to look at baby clothes & found the tagged book for $3.

This was odd, but fun! And also deeply sad at parts. Fast read, done in a day. Wish we could have gotten into Constance‘s head a bit more! (4)
3.75/5

This one's not amazing or anything, but it is fun. It says some things about organized religion and about family dynamics and how hard it is to move away from them. There's also some in there about coming into our own as adults. But mostly it's just fun.

I just love Rachel Harrison‘s bitingly comic blend of social commentary and feminist horror. This one‘s special though, because it‘s for the religious trauma girlies like me—and a potent reminder that, as dark and isolating as it can be, it‘s better to be a black sheep than a sacrificial lamb. 🤘

Gothic, campy, strange, and yes, fun. Great, fast read for October.

Vesper has never felt like she fit in and returns to her strange family home to seek some answers. Then things get creepy… and creepier…

Reading on my Kindle.....so far so good

Not really in my wheele-house but it was a quick read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A biting satire about escaping a cult. Perhaps an unexpected cult, which made me cackle in shock. This was my first time reading Rachel Harrison, and I‘ll definitely check her backlist. Classifying this as horror is a stretch IMO, but art is always up to interpretation. Witty, darkly humorous, and oddly fun! I didn‘t love the end, but it made sense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I found it interesting that those who believed themselves righteous only ever cared about those who agreed with them, and were keen to let those who didn‘t suffer whatever brutal fate. There seems to me an inherent hypocrisy in faith itself.”

This surprised me a couple of times and I loved the direction it went in! I really like Harrison‘s style; she makes the horror genre feel darkly fun and her stories also have something to say. 🎧

#ReadAway2024

Another book finished earlier in the week & my 3rd August #Roll100 book (#27). I‘m glad I finally read it since I got it in an #Aardvark box last October, drawn to the cover, family “cult” in the blurb & the author (although I buy her books without seeming to move them off my TBR). Dark, twisty & kind of fun if you like cults, mild horror & family drama. I won‘t go into the details as it‘s better to go in blind, but I liked it. 👍🏼

Same stuff, different day. At the airport at the butt crack of dawn waiting to board for my first of 2 Hilo trips this week. About halfway through this book, one of my #Roll100 August books & it‘s intriguing so far. The usual iced brown sugar oatmilk latte & Impossible breakfast sandwich.

I want to hate Rachel Harrison and say she‘s a hanger on with the cool horror clique. I want to yell Poser! at her and hate her books. But I can‘t cause she really does the intrapersonal very well between family members. It totally resonates with me no matter how watered down her horror elements are. I would recommend going in blind on this. I did and found it outrageous and hilarious. A young woman after a 6yrs absence is lured home. Pick!

An interesting book overall, mostly kept my attention but didn‘t really go anywhere..

Read for reading challenges.

Library book 📖

3.75/5

@tiedyedude and I are taking advantage of this beautiful spring day by reading outside with some local brews. I finished Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison and have cracked open Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg. Cheers!

“As I stood singing the birthday song for the fifth time that evening, I realized I was wrong for not believing in hell.“ #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

1. I've enjoyed libraries my entire life. I loved library hour in elementary school and summer reading at the public library. I currently work at a library, and have done so since 2012.
2. The library and local independent bookstore.
3. I'm still reading Black Sheep. I haven't felt well enough to dedicate regular time to reading.
@Eggs #WondrousMonday

Today is my one day off this week, so I slept in, and now I'm enjoying a brunch of oatmeal and coffee, with a book on the side. #sundayvibes #sunday

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.
This was my first Rachel Harrison novel, and it certainly won‘t be my last.
I devoured this book. I‘ve read my share of cult style horror, but this is by far the best one…

Read more at: FictionLux

1. a.) Write cards and b) Read in the evenings after work
2. Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
3. Horror

#MotivationalMonday @Cupake12

This was a fun take on the “prodical child” trope, and I particularly loved the reveal of exactly what beliefs Vesper did not share with her family and how Harrison incorporated appropriate symbolism without falling into cliché.

Black Sheep was the perfect answer to my book hangover that Rosemary‘s Baby caused. Honestly, it had some of the same vibes as Rosemary‘s Baby. and I enjoyed that immensely. I‘m not going too deep into this because I think you need to go in without expecting anything.This book was perfection. And I‘m afraid to admit it but I might have liked it even better than Cackle.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/02/27/black-sheep-review/

I love Rachel Harrison‘s voice, and this book was no exception. Great mix of horror, humor, with a casual, conversational style that she‘s honed to a razor‘s edge over the last 3 books.

I‘m reading pink and red books in honor of Valentines Day. They‘re not even remotely close to romantic but at least they fit the aesthetic. I can eat chocolate and read scary books just as well as I can with a romance. So, anyhow, here‘s my February 2024 tbr.

What are you reading this month?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/02/02/february-2024-tbr/

Santa brought books and the most gorgeous bookends 😍😍😍😍

Did you have a good Christmas?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/12/27/santa-brought-books/

This is the second of Harrison‘s novels that I‘ve read in as many months. Her work is more horror-lite, than terrifying. There‘s plenty of humor here that keeps the plot from being dark, yet without going over into camp. It‘s a nice balance. I enjoyed the story and I really liked Vesper, the MC.

I really enjoyed this book. I like this author‘s writing style. If you‘ve read a book by her you know what I mean.

Spunky sarcastic MC. A bit of a possibly supernatural mystery.

It reminded me of Rosemary‘s baby … not in plot but cult & sacrifice.

Not scary but kept me riveted to my seat & I read it straight through. Easy fast fun! Keep ‘em coming!! I wish I read it for Halloween!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/3

I‘ve seen some mixed reviews and people noting they DNF‘d. for me this helped me through my reading slump. I really enjoyed the humor mixed with horror. An entirely creative concept and a fun read for me.

In October, we read PINK and SPOOKY!!💗👻😈

This was really fun, dark and a bit gory. Our main character returns home, after leaving its cultish atmosphere, to attend a wedding. There is more to this than just a stereotypical religious cult. Our main character was a lovable loser, her sarcasm was great. I think this is my favorite of this author‘s books so far. 4.5⭐️
5 hrs of reading, 127 word search words
#Scarathlon #HHC

As I stood singing the birthday song for the fifth time that evening, I realized I was wrong for not believing in Hell. #FirstLineFridays

🤣 I freaking HATE when the birthday song gets sung by staff in restaurants. It's my nightmare.

The premise of this book was fun, but the execution felt ambling without really going anywhere substantive. The character development was lacking and our protagonist wasn‘t always likable, but not in a particularly interesting way. The cult itself felt like a caricature born of the Satanic Panic. I knew, and wanted this to be a lighter read, but while I think it aimed at campy, I don‘t think it necessarily succeeded for me.

Just meh for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

Starting tonight. #aardvark

Woah! The first chapter hooked me. Then, as it set the scene, I was wondering where the first chapter magic went until the twist came and set the entire story in motion. It was a story this chicken couldn't read in bed at night 🙃.

3⭐
After listening to Such Sharp Teeth a few weeks ago and loving it…I really don‘t want to admit how much I didn‘t click with this. Honestly, it was just so boring. It also lacked the energy and heart that SST had. It wasn‘t bad by any means just not what I was expecting or hoping for. Jeremy Carlisle Parker's narration was okay…it‘s possible my feelings towards this book were exacerbated by the narration…I‘m not really sure.

What the what?! I'm 3 chapters in and this is already taking an unexpected direction... and I'm here for it!

It‘s hard to read when someone knows it‘s pushing dinner time. 😑🤪

Book 175📚 4.4⭐️

Another fantastical book from Harrison! I love her stories and her mix of horror & comedy🖤

Anyone else feel like the black sheep?🐑

A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family‘s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

#aardvarkbookclub #blacksheep #horror #thriller

Black Sheep was a dark and twisted novel that was not at all what I expected it to be after reading the synopsis; thankfully I did not look closely at the cover, otherwise I think I would not have had the surprise I did. I really liked Vesper. Not only is her character well-developed, she is presented as a woman with honest emotions and reactions to the situations that she faces within the narrative; she is resilient and tough.

The story is fine. Most will love it. This author has a distinct style that I‘m just not excited about: campy horror-lite. It felt more like silliness to me than dark comedy.

There are big themes of church trauma and toxic relationships. It was a tough read for me from the halfway point on, just from the perspective of someone deconstructing. I don‘t want to spoil anyone‘s good time here, truly, but (👇🏻)

If you‘re looking for a kooky, suspenseful, atmospheric horror novel with a heroine with a lot of snark then this is your jam! This is the reason why Rachel Harrison is my favorite horror novelist! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🤩

October #aardvark books are up and picked! I went with three this month.

#Aardvark REALLY came through for October. I am so excited!!!!

Vesper left her devoutly religious family when she was just 18, but a wedding invitation tempts her back, and things take a sinister turn.

Religious zealots come in all kinds, but they all have some commonalities. This book went in a really interesting direction. Dark humor. Sufficiently scary and gross. I loved it. Very good for Halloween.