Play Nice | 
pickThis has been one of my favorite BOTM choices - it was a quick read and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I felt like I couldn‘t put it down, it kept me interested the entire way through.
The monster was well written and described, the gore wasn‘t extremely graphic and I felt like Harrison‘s character development stayed true to the characters for the entire story and only added to the plot consistency the ending was perfect.
Earl Grey Macaroon tea and trying to get two more books down this year so I can make my reading goal - I knew I was going to be insanely busy this year so I had a modest goal of 20 books (not including any texts or study/research related books) and I‘m sitting at 18.
Wish me luck!!
pickSo far I think this was my favorite of Harrison's books. This one is about Clio and her two sisters whose mother abandoned them years ago. When their mother dies and leaves them the house, secrets and a demon finally come out 😈
#WickedWords #missing @AsYouWish
Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
#boleybooks #playnice #rachelharrison #frostbuddy #bookbrew #bookbeast #bookbuds #bookclub #letsread #netgalley
🎉🙌There‘s a Frostbuddy discount portal available for you in my linktree.
so-soAlright, this book was not as good as So Thirsty. But it was fun. From the dysfunctional family dynamics to the haunted house it‘s a fun read for spooky season! 👻
so-so3⭐
I loved Such Sharp Teeth by this author, but every book since has left me chasing that high without ever catching it. The potential for something good was there, but between the unlikable MC and the lackluster plot, I couldn't stay engaged and found myself surface-listening throughout.
🎙️I'm honestly not sure whether the narrators, Alex Finke and Natasha Soudek, contributed to my feelings about this book or not.
My #LitsyPenpal has telepathic powers! I‘ve been wanting to read the new book by Rachel Harrison and ‘The Ghost Writer‘! I can‘t wait to dive into the new Caitlyn Starling book plus a ‘new to me‘ title/author Mark Waddell! The Amish popcorn and Scary Popper plus Snoopy candle and bath salts will all pair nicely with above mentioned books! Thanks @Beck9lol for your thoughtfulness! You always get me! Happy Halloween to all who celebrate! 🎃🤡👻
so-soWhile the plot is good, I had a love/hate relationship with these characters. The MC could be funny/“edgy” but she could also be incredibly bratty. Her family seemed great at the beginning but as more of their dynamic is revealed, you start realizing how manipulative everyone is. But ultimately, that‘s the point of this story: every family has its drama and its demons. In the end, the MC has a great arc and I like how the story wrapped up for her.
pickThis book has the authors trademark sarcastic humor and wildly imperfect protagonist. The main character is definitely not very likable, but you end up rooting for her anyway. It was a fun read overall, lighter on horror, so if you are looking for a spooky read without the gore this could be a solid pick. 4⭐️
Only page 2 and am already deeply relating to this FMC 🤣 #HauntedShelf #GrimReaders
My next listen, I‘m definitely all in for spooky season this year lol…
pickI couldn't read this book after sunset because I am a chicken, and it had maximum creepiness on every page, but I also appreciated the metaphors the author employed within the themes of the story.
🫢 Well that certainly creates a strong impression.
pickI‘m called to read a haunted house story every October, and the concept of this one was intriguing. The estranged mother of three sisters has returned to the childhood haunted home of her daughters, dies, and leaves home to said daughters. But it‘s the 2020s so of course one of those women is an influencer with thoughts of live-action flipping and profit.
pickThis was *so* much deeper than the haunted house book it was advertised to be. At times, I do think the author bit off more than could be chewed - dabbling in complicated relationships, familial & romantic, implied judgements without any internal accountability, childhood trauma…. all wrapped up in a flippant catty tone and FMC who is an unlikable fashion influencer. It‘s drama and it makes for a quick read. 🐁🔥🚪🐍👿
I wasn‘t expecting a feminist-bent “believe women” undertone in this mostly vague haunted house book - but I‘m not hating on the double meaning here. 💁🏻♀️
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What I really liked about this book was that it illustrates that multiple conflicting truths can be right at the same time, making it easy to gaslight people.
Clio wasn't a traditionally likable character, yet I really appreciated her evolution and humor.
The demonic house was fun, but it is, of course, less scary than the crappy parents. That tracks.
I loved it almost as much as Cackle.
Come thru, tone 😂🤷🏻♀️
I‘ve only read one of Rachel Harrison‘s books before but her snark was greatly appreciated then. Let‘s go.
pickI figured I would love Play Nice. I love Rachel Harrison and haunted house stories so I knew this book was for me. And if I‘m being honest I *almost* liked it better than Cackle. But be sure to check trigger warnings. This one was spooky. And also don‘t go into it expecting to love the characters. They‘re horrible people. But it worked for me.
pickThis was a fun read! The demon was legitimately scary. I‘m always a fan of a haunted house story. There was also a message in here that made me love the story even more. Women are often gaslighted and/or told they are “too much”. If not for the way the women were treated in this story, there would have been a different outcome for this family. I hope Rachel Harrison continues to write books like this. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
pickI loved this! Perfect for spooky season with a snarky protagonist (which I love!) and a possession story that I wasn‘t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed. It‘s also about family trauma, mothers/daughters/sisters, and the stories we tell each other in the name of protection. Highly recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
so-soYou see how this dog is asleep? That‘s an accurate portrayal of what this book does to people. It‘s a fun premise, but it just does not hit the horror buttons except for two instances of pretty mild gore. It‘s sort of “How to Sell a Haunted House” goes feminist, except it‘s not even really very feminist…
pickI can‘t believe it‘s been 5 years since I read— & loved!— Harrison‘s debut novel! I absolutely couldn‘t put this latest one down! It‘s a story of sisters, family, grief, & a dash of love all around a haunted house & some genuinely spooky parts! Clio, the youngest of 3 sisters, undertakes renovating the house they blame for destroying their family—but with a book within a book, & her own memories, she starts to find the truth. Funny & chilling!
pan⭐️a whole lot of nothing to see here with shallow awful people. 👎
pickI just finished this and had to immediately come here to rave about it!
This book takes the unreliable narrator to a new level in the way Harrison weaves together a mother and daughter's stories, 20 years apart, in an allegedly possessed house.
I've read a lot of horror over the years, and in all that time, very few books have gotten to me the way this did, and I mean that in the best way possible!
100% recommend, and perfect for the season!
pickI loved loved loved this book.A haunted house with paranormal activity and a dysfunctional family, I was all in and had to see just how things would unfold. Was the house really haunted, was there a demon or was it all in her mother's mind?! The blend of horror and psychological tension had me spellbound in the best of ways. A twisty, emotional, unputdownable read. My only regret is finishing it so quickly ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you didn't already know, RACHEL HARRISON HAS A NEW BOOK OUT! 🥳🎉🎉🎉 I really come to adore her feminist horror novels, and this one looks particularly exciting! 💜💜💜
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I always look forward to picking up one of Rachel Harrison‘s feminist-tinged horror novels at this time of the year! “Play Nice” oozes rich symbolism and thematic content that you can sink your teeth into (i.e. how trauma manifests and refuses to stay hidden, or how easily society labels women crazy, unlikable, or unworthy of empathy), but it‘s also just a damn good time. #BOTM
I forgot, as always, to take a post office picture, so here‘s a foster kitten throwback (they‘ve all been adopted!) to say that my #fallingforfallswap #ffs has been sent and should arrive Monday 🤞
My therapist gave me “homework” and it was to do something nice for myself. I may have done a little extra. 😏
It has been a terrible year. I feel a little guilty for treating myself but it did lift my spirits a little bit. I already have two copies of Pet Sematary but one is a vintage hardback that I don‘t want to carry around and the other is falling apart. It‘s almost time for my annual reread.
So pretty 🤩
#BOTM
#botm picks for September! I'm super excited to see Rachel Harrison as a pick; I've read all of her books & loved them. She's also from close to my hometown!
Soooo excited for my BOTM this month - I didn‘t get the latest Rachel Harrison for months after it released and I‘m not making that mistake again! Plus fancy endpapers on the Garber (and I love her colorful over the top writing) and Discontent sounds hilarious and snarky. How many months will it take to actually read and not just hoard them? 😝
Treating myself for my birthday month #BOTM box! How to choose which one to start first?! I‘m excited about all of these! 😍🥰
