A small family living in isolation. A truly horrible grandfather who invades the family and won‘t leave. A young boy going through a weird puberty. Interesting yet frustrating story.

For the most part, I am enjoying the conversational tone of the writing. These are true stories of mysteries. Some of these events I have heard of, others are new to me. The book is made up of various articles written for different publications, each chapter exploring a different topic. Douglas Preston is one of my favorite authors. I am amazed by what an interesting life he leads. This explores certain mysteries in greater detail.

2 damaged people get together for a crazy night. The question is which one will end up dead.

I was looking forward to this so much but it didn‘t live up to my imagination. The first half was good but not great. It wasn‘t until the final quarter that I felt excitement and didn‘t want to put it down. I do like to see the continuation of Holly‘s story and Barbara and Jerome. 3.5 stars.

In this book Tracy Crosswhite investigates 2 cases, a current murder and a cold case. It felt most of the books was about the cold case, she spent little time on the more recent case. It was an intriguing book and I liked the investigative work. Book 3 of the series.

I was so excited to read this. Mainly because whales fascinate me, Jay Gardiner is 17, and has a complex relationship with his dead father. Most of the book was Jay coming to terms with his childhood and realizing his father did the best he could. The rest of the book was Jay trying to escape the whale, moving through different stomachs and other parts. That whole part felt very unbelievable to me and began to feel a little repetitive.

Book 2 in the Tracy Crosswhite series. This book has a creepy serial killer. It was well written and when the murderer was revealed it made sense. The procedural parts were great, it felt very realistic to me. During the last scenes I almost felt sorry for the killer. I enjoyed this. .

My favorite of the series. Harry Hole continues his suspicions of Tom Waaler but they are required to work with one another on a new serial killer case. The story is great. In the past I have found this series to be a little confusing, but this book was perfect. I understood what was going on so that made me happy. I‘m ready to move on to the next book in the series.

3.5 stars. Dystopian fiction. Well written with great world building. It was very disturbing how women are treated in this society. Lots of double and triple crosses as people plot to overthrow the current government.At times it read a little slow and there were a lot of characters to keep track of. Overall this was an interesting book.

A collection of short stories by a new to me author. I was surprised by how much I loved these stories. My only complaint was with the story Long Shadows. I didn‘t quite understand the ending. Everything else was perfect. There was a mix of science fiction and horror. Nothing too scary but definitely some anxiety. The book was well written and imaginative.

Brooklyn and her husband Derek head to Loch Ness Scotland to attend the wedding of their friends. Such a great location. This book is a mystery within a mystery. Who is stealing books from the castle library, and a murder or two also. I loved the setting and learning about the castle and the local village. I also learned a few new Scottish customs. This book made me happy. The main characters are wonderful and make you want to spend time.

I got nine books for my birthday from family and friends. My only problem is which one to read first!

4.5 stars. This book was well written, I really enjoyed every word. My only complaint was the ending was not on par with the rest of the book.

The first part is good. The second part is bat sh*t crazy. Then the third part makes sense again. The second act I was seriously hating it, but in the end the book redeemed itself. I loved all the nods to classic horror movie series. This was fast paced and action packed. Not my favorite by Hendrix but I enjoyed this.

Pub date 10/31/23

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting read. I was enthralled the whole time. A girl is dead and another is missing. During the hunt for the killer we meet many possible suspects. Finding the real killer was a difficult journey but the motivation seemed plausible.

Basically the same cover as Karin Slaughter‘s Pretty Girls

A good reference for horror of the 2000‘s. I have read many of these books. Some I didn‘t like and don‘t think they belong here. I did learn of some new authors and found some books I would like to read.

Just started today. This is one I‘ve been wanting to read for awhile now.

First published in 1979 when I was 15, I remember reading this book and thinking that I had never read anything like it. Definitely my first grownup horror novel this is a classic that I wanted to reread. I liked the building of the story, how we see Baal through his childhood and into adulthood. There is a lot of dread and violence in the story. I found the whole thing very interesting. I liked that the ending was in the isolation of the arctic.

Recently bailed on these two books. They were not giving me what I was expecting. I didn‘t want to force myself to read books I‘m not enjoying.

Another classic from my childhood. The magical carousel has stuck with me all these years. There were some misogynistic parts. The story focused on two boys, Will and Jim, and Will's father. They must band together to fight the evil carnival owner and save the town. The writing is poetic and very descriptive. It is easy to see Bradbury's influence on Stephen King.

My favorite Junji Ito book so far. My favorite story is Floaters. A really good collection. I liked them all.

An over complicated crazy mess. Bad decision follows bad decision. Entertaining.

This was a well written cozy mystery. Clare, the protagonist, was likable and I was invested in her investigation. The mystery was well thought out and I didn't guess the murderer until the very end. This is a series I could continue reading.

I generally love Christine Feehan's books, but this one was terrible. It was so boring, and nothing happened until the end. Most of it was spent sitting around an apartment and talking. The men were all very alpha male and treated the women like second class citizens. I was very disappointed.

A bleak and depressing orphanage run by priests. They are isolated and hours from the nearest house. When evil infects some of the children, it becomes a battle for survival. I felt a sense of dread while reading this. The priests were already cruel to the children, but then add the presence of evil and these children are plunged into a nightmare. The landscape of the book was so bleak, and everything felt so hopeless. An interesting book.

They have a dead body in the trunk and are trying to act like nothings wrong.

This is page 13, so not really a spoiler.

I found a bag of books in my closet that has been there since we moved in 2013. I‘m going to start reading these. First up is Latte Trouble.

A fun and magical story about a reunion of 5 adults who were cast members on a mysterious children's television show. As the story moves along, there is a growing sensation of dread. Why has Val blocked out all memories of the show? What is the ulterior motive for the reunion? An interesting read.

I like the way V. Castro incorporates Mexican mythology with current days. The way Alejandra felt about her life with her husband and 3 children rang so true. The amount and despair a mother can feel. The book examines generational trauma, and how a curse can effect a family line.

A collection of 4 short stories.

“Reply Hazy, Try Again" a magic 8 ball that communicates with its owner. Not enough closure in this one.

"Bachelorette" a woman realizes that her childhood best friend has changed. I really liked this one.

"Goblin" the dangers of dieting. This story was my favorite.

“Bad Dolls” After her sister's death, Mac finds a possessed doll. Creepy,

I liked the story and the trope of fated mates. This was a formulaic book but definitely entertaining. I could see myself picking up the other two books in the future. Fun but forgettable.

Bonus points for a beautiful cover

A procedural taking place in a summer resort in Wisconsin. I especially loved the voice of Eli, the police investigator, who is also fighting alcoholism and PTSD. The book is well written, and as more secrets are revealed it only becomes more interesting. The opioid epidemic features heavily into this and makes what should be a wholesome summer getaway turn into a nightmare.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

This deals with the concept of a changeling, a human baby that is replaced by a nonhuman lookalike. After Emma and Apollo have their first child, Emma begins to believe that it is not really her baby.

This book is an epic journey into an alternate world where trolls and other creatures exist. I liked how we followed Apollo as he learned about another side of life. The ending left me with more questions that I want answered.

A good mystery that was interesting to read. Involving the wealthy upper class of London. When Rupert's live in girl friend is found murdered, he becomes the main suspect. Rupert is a highly unlikable character. Most of his friend group are also unlikable.

The three featured detectives are a good group and I liked watching their investigation. Detective Caius Beauchamp would make a good character for a series.

This brought back warm memories of when I read the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. Those books were a big part of my teens and twenties. Fourth Wing felt just as wonderful to me. Having a dragon who is bonded with you is such a wonderful dream.

This book was well written, and I was fully invested from the beginning. It ends on a big cliffhanger, and I am so looking forward to reading the next in the series. 5 stars from me!

A collection of short stories, both creepy and thought provoking. The writing is poetic and makes me want to savor the words. 3.5 stars because although the stories are good, nothing is great.

I will admit the beginning was confusing for me. We are following 2 separate timelines and although it was clear which timeline I was in, it wasn't clear what they had to do with each other. It wasn't until the halfway point that I began to see what was happening. Eventually both timelines converge and then the book was at its best. I loved the last 40-45% of the book. My main complaint is that the ending was too abrupt. I need more closure.

A creepy dysfunctional family dynamic, between the 2 sets of twins, the odd religious background of the grandma, and the imaginary friend/possible demon haunting the children. I enjoyed reading this. I wished for a little more closure in the last chapter, but the reader is able to draw their own conclusions. Is this a horror book? It has some elements of a haunted house and a demonic possession, yet it is also a family drama about grief and loss.

After his mistress Nora breaks up with him, William returns home to find his difficult daughter Avery is home when she should be at school. After slapping her, William leaves the house. When he arrives home later, he finds Avery is missing. The book becomes the hunt for Avery, with William as the chief suspect.

The multiple points of view did not bother me as much as usual. The book was interesting right from the start. it was fun to read.

Started this today. Loving it so far 😀

Book 13 in the Leopard People series. This is the story of Meiling and Gedeon. The story was interesting and I had a good time reading it. I really enjoyed this series. This one was a little jumpy in its transitions. It covered a lot of time in their lives.

I loved Lone Women so much that I picked this up without knowing anything about it. I really like Victor LaValle's writing style. Interesting yet easy to read.

Pepper is involuntarily committed to a mental institution. What is supposed to be a 72-hour hold turns into months. Pepper learns of the monster that is stalking the inmates, and eventually he is attacked by the creature.

The first few chapters were a rapid fire introduction to the characters. It felt like a lot of people to keep track of. Anna, Timmy, Naomi and Abe are the only nice characters. Everyone else is a terrible person. Anna's friend Naomi is very interested in history and details a lot of Jewish history to us.

The amount of religious talk juxtaposed with all the terrible violence did not interest me. The more I read, the less I wanted to read.

I loved this book. The characters were snarky and fun to read. The serial killer mystery was interesting and the supporting characters were great. The killer was truly evil and was a good adversary. I enjoyed this very much.

Ripley‘s first modeling job.

A couple stories were great. A few of them I hated. The rest were ok. These stories take place in the universe created by Joe R Lansdale‘s The Drive-In.

My August TBR. I will start with these 5 then see where I go.

At 898 pages, this book is a chunkster.

Reading this, I am seriously freaked out about the ocean. This book supposes there is an intelligence living in the ocean, and it is fed up with humans treating the oceans and its inhabitants so poorly. Named the Yrr, they are on a mission to destroy all humans and restore order to the deep. This seems like something that could possibly happen. The book was well written.

My current read. Book 13 in the Leopard People series. So far I‘m really enjoying this.

Book 3 in the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay becomes more entangled with the mob, and also attends a week long police camp with Vero. Of the three books, this was the one that made me think it is getting more unrealistic. This was fun, with a good ending. Also it is implied that Steve is up to something shady, so that intrigues me.