I was expecting WAY more smut. There was some, but it took about 3/4 of the book to get to and it was very short. Otherwise, a delightful story that I quite enjoyed.

Soul Searchers, by Justin Boote. Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl contender. John and Cathy move into a haunted house, where the spirits want Cathy to find their killer. Susanne is a medium, and with her ability to communicate with spirits—her friends she calls the Soul Searchers—she attempts to help Cathy find the murderer. Thoughts in comments.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! The enemies-to-lovers trope is always fun, AND this made me laugh out loud several times. I needed a fluffy break from all the horror/thrillers I‘ve been reading, and this hit the spot.

Indie Author Brawl! This is the story of a ghost from his novel Welcome to Nightmare Island. Knowing this is an origin story, I knew jones was going to murder a bunch of people then die. There wasn‘t any suspense, but it was fun seeing the birth of the ghost. HOWEVER, the author did no research on the 60s, and that took me out of the story. For instance, the first 911 call was made in 1968, yet in this book it existed. Not the only out-of-time…

Quick read, less than 250 pages. The twist…at first I was bugged, felt a little ripped off, but the more I thought about it the more ok with it I became. I really enjoyed the psychology parts of the book; super fascinating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Some of the stories have already started to fade in my memory, but some will live forever. Danny Coughlin‘s Bad Dream is hands down my favorite; I couldn‘t put it down, racing to the end to find out what happens. However, I did DNF Rattlesnakes; the grief in that one was too much for me. I haven‘t read Cujo, knowing the end, and this sequel was…sad. I hear if you stick with it, it‘s fantastic and creepy.

This one took the top spot for June!

I was so excited to get this book when it came out. I got it at a bookstore called Butcher Cabin Books in Louisville. I love the cover; the jacket on my copy feels cool too. The story was interesting, as we bounced among present day, the past, and the screenplay. Fun story, great ending.

BoH Indie Author Brawl! This was FUN. I got creeped out reading this in bed, even though my husband was asleep next to me. It‘s kind of like if the short horror film The Other Side of the Box had a baby with The Ring. It‘s a quick read at about 115 pages, and I 100% recommend!

You know, it was ok. It‘s a very quick read, since the chapters are short and each one is a cliffhanger. But there we are WAY too many red herrings, and the climax was so short compared to all the buildup. The romance was forced and felt like an afterthought. So, I‘d give it a “meh.”

Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl! Wow. There was a moment, a split second, where I legit thought I might throw up. The story was ok; I kept thinking while I was reading how much I would take to do the things (I would not have won, because it would take massive amounts of money). But it is an extreme horror/splatterpunk, and that‘s exactly what you get. 🤢

I was not expecting how dark this book got. It was a fast read, but I was invested in the characters and cared about what happened to them. Very well written with a satisfying ending. But damn it went to a dark place.

Well this was fabulous. I got this from a horror book store, Butcher Cabin Books, in Louisville. The person working there recommended it. The story is wild, and I was here for all of it. 100% recommend.

Loved it! It has some spooky moments, and the villains are awesome. It also has a beautiful, melancholy feel to it that resonated with me.

I recently found this series as I was unpacking boxes in my basement, boxes we haven‘t opened in 15 years or more. So of course it brought me back to when I was a teen (maybe young adult?) and loved it. I remembered nothing, so it was like reading it for the first time. And I really enjoyed it! It was pretty much non-stop action, and the world building was really fun. I‘m not sure when I‘ll get to the next book, but I will eventually!

Indie author brawl! This was super depressing. I almost stopped it several times, but I‘m glad I kept with it. I‘ve never read Room, but I heard a lot of comparisons with it, in that both are told from the point of view of a child. The afterword by the author made this story all the more heartbreaking.

I don‘t have many books to choose from this month, since one of the books (by the light of dead stars) took me FOREVER to get through. Even so, Slashtag was my favorite! It was a very hard decision between it and the Betsy faria story.

I asked my oldest kid for something fluffy with a HEA, and this is what they handed me. It was everything I wanted. Romance, humor, heartache, a touch of mystery, and lots of smiles.

Indie Author Brawl! I don‘t know why it felt like I was reading this book for 43 years, but it did. It‘s a good book, if a bit long. It has the feel of an epic book, with lots of characters coming together in unexpected ways. Some of the scenes are genuinely creepy. I‘m not sure I‘m invested enough to read a sequel, but I enjoyed this.

So here‘s the thing. While I was reading this, it was fine. Not great, but it was entertaining, though it had some grammar issues. BUT, when I read the afterword by the author, I got a big hit in the feels and it changed my perspective on the story. Based on that info from after I read it, I liked it. It‘s emotional and personal for the author, and I appreciate that. It kinda makes me want to reread it with that in mind.

This was fascinating! I have listened to the podcast The Thing About Pam, so I knew the overall story. But this goes into a much deeper dive. The first trial is infuriating! And while the author clearly loves himself (he makes a point to talk about how good looking he is), he was a great lawyer, and it‘s a really good book.

Book of Horror Indie Author Brawl! This was AWESOME. A group of celebrities get roped onto a reality show where they have to survive in a haunted mansion. It has everything: ghosts, possessions, childhood trauma, gore, betrayal, medical horror, all stirred up and with a dash of Cabin in the Woods added in. LOVED IT.

For the month of April I had to go with this delightful book. I‘m reading the second one now. Swoon.

After witnessing a crime, Anthony takes his family and runs from the mob boss to a campground property he hasn‘t been able to sell. But that campground is still haunted by the cult that used to live there, and they want out. This has some genuinely creepy moments (well, quite a few of them) and some gore that had me reading/peeking through my fingers. Great indie author brawl entry!

I loved this! In my head Chris was like a Jason Mamoa type quarterback. Could‘ve used more 🌶️, but I loved the story.

Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl! This was a hard read, because the conversations between miller and her mother were so triggering. That trapped feeling of having your words twisted and your mind messed with is suffocating and traumatic, and the true horror of the story. The rest was just icing on the cake.

Interesting book. I had read that it‘s one of the best revenge stories, so I was excited to read it. And it was a great revenge story, it just took a long time to get there. 200+ pages of getting to know the characters and their lives did make the last 100 pages satisfactory, but I did have to remind myself this was written in 1980. Overall, good slow burn revenge.

I liked it. The world building is interesting; like, did the storm create the powers? Or was the storm a result of the powers manifesting? Why some kids and not others? Good thing the story continues online!

Love it! Slow burn, but so worth it. I wouldn‘t say it‘s scary, but it has creepy and cringey moments and some great gore. Interesting that a feminist novel is written by a man.

This was fine. I didn‘t find the ending THAT shocking; it seemed like a book I‘ve read many times (as in not very unique). I disliked all the characters, except the dog. At least it‘s a quick read.

I‘m late because I forgot. Still, Bunker Dogs was definitely the best book I read in March. And of course it made it into the Indie Author Brawl in Books of Horror!

Super interesting read! The way the profile matched up with Bell is amazing. The story is fascinating and devastating, and I very much enjoyed the legal aspects of the book.

I adores this book!! A superhero and a super villain?? Yes, daddy! I loved everything about this. I smiled so much, I laughed some, and the 🌶️🌶️🌶️? 🤌🤌🤤

The last of three books a student gave me to read at the beginning of the year! I liked it though. It was very fast-paced and a quick read. I kiiiiiiinda want to read the rest of the trilogy, but I probably won‘t.

Austin is having problems at school with bullies, and problems at home with his divorced parents. His mom, ever treating him like her therapy patient, gets him Elvis, a therapy dog. Except, Elvis isn‘t all he seems to be… It‘s kind of like if you were sitting around thinking “what if David berkowitz was a teenager today? What would that story look like?” The book is fun, kills are good and gory, and I recommend! A Boy and His Dog, C.I.I. Jones

This was so interesting. A few things I had to look up since I didn‘t know the terms, but otherwise the court stuff was super fascinating. I have never been on a jury, and I‘ve heard it‘s boring, but being on a case like this would maybe be worth it. Either way, great book. The cockroaches though…😳

I really enjoyed this fast read. It reminded me a lot of We Need to Talk About Kevin, but like the YA version of that, mixed with some The Bad Seed vibes. With chapters only around 2-4 pages each, it‘s easy to do the “just one more chapter!” thing.

This was intense! I can‘t say too much without spoiling it, but it is a RIDE. Certainly creepy at times, definitely gory, and a lot of fun. And the artwork is gorgeous. I mean this cover is ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love junji ito, and this is like his collections on steroids. It‘s great body horror, and gave me weird dreams when I‘d read it before bed.

This was a fun read! I loved all the nods to horror icons, like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Jeanie Lee Curtis and more. There was even a reference to Sunnydale! The story was interesting and a throwback to giallo and slashers. I recommend if you‘re a 80s horror fan!

For February, Butterscotch was my favorite read! Most of the books I read last month were indies, and really good, but this…loved it!

This book was FUN! I was so into the story, wanting to find out more and more. There were scenes that made me 🤢 and scenes where I was heartbroken, but the whole ride was awesome. And then the end…my reaction was like 😮🤌🤌🤌😵🧐😧🫠 I highly recommend! It‘s on KU, or .99 to buy an ebook on Amazon. Go get it! Butterscotch, by Asia Brito Guerrero.

I love Junji Ito. His stories are creepy and his artwork is phenomenal. These stories did not disappoint. Greased though…that was a whole other level. I legit felt a little nauseas reading it, and made the face the entire time. It was awesome.

Holy twists Batman! The book read like a whodunit until the last 50 pages or so. Then it was twist after twist and reveal after reveal. I very much enjoyed it, it was a fun quick read.

This was a wild ride! I loved it. I find it creepy to get inside the minds of killers, and this book delivered. We really come to understand the depth of Chandler‘s mental instability and his descent into…madness? There were several moments that a feeling of dread overcame me, like an “ohhhhh nooooo” reaction. With a bit of a twist at the end, this was definitely a chef‘s kiss. 5 stars, absolutely recommend!

I really enjoyed this! It‘s a YA murder mystery, with some great twists. I know some 8th graders at the middle school I work at would love this, and I‘ll be recommending it.

Where Dreams Are Entombed, but Chase Will. Tommy moved to L.A. to try to realize his dream of being a rock star, leaving behind an ex-wife and young son. But he hasn‘t made it, and now he‘s desperate. When he gets an invite to help with some experimental art for lots of money, he has to make some decisions, and answer the question “How desperate are you?” I thought this was a great novella! Very well-written, kept me invested, and…

I very much enjoyed this! I‘m always up for a good haunted house story, and this delivered, along with a great ending. ALSO, Baker included a kick-ass bonus story at the end written by her son.

This was a great story! I‘ve previously read Bower‘s collection of short stories, and they were good, but this is better. Gaige is in high school, and so desperate for fame for his heavy metal band that he‘ll do anything, even murder, to gain the favor of the demon Paimon. Loved it!

So…this book wasn‘t really my jam, but I didn‘t dislike it. It‘s like a chaotic fever dream, filled with pandas, nazis, drugs…and of course techno music. The pace is incredibly frantic, and it jumps from scene to scene to scene without much exploration. I‘d love to read a version of this where it‘s only part of it, but the scenes are drawn out with dialogue and rising and falling action. But I‘m not disappointed I read it.