Enjoying this audiobook. Single dad struggling to keep his family orchard afloat is the story-line that most engages me.

The final line-wow! Can I give this 6 stars? Giving voice to the victims & survivors of a serial killer character inspired by Ted Bundy, this novel is a twisty thriller, a look at how media depicts crime, and a moving look at resilience. No wonder it is up for the Edgar Award for best novel! And that final line!! #crimenovel #5stars

Spooky tale of gothic ghosts, long lost sisters, and all-too-human predators haunting a Rhode Island B & B in winter. Read it for Women in Horror month, but thriller fans who don‘t mind a ghost in a secret passageway will love it too. Vivid setting & “meta” style commentary on gothic lit tropes are used well. #gothic #spooky #sisters

My Women in Horror Month listen is gothic, ghostly and rich in family secrets. Vivid setting! Really enjoying this audiobook. #womeninhorror

☘️Happy St. Patrick‘s Day! (We Boston Irish celebrate more than my actual Irish colleagues.) May the wind be always at your back, and the books be always on your nightstand. #stpatricksday

The book my kid chose at the school used book sale says it all. The cats agree…

Det. Harriet Foster wades through her own intense grief to solve a string of strange & brutal murders. New colleagues, racism, sexism & personal trauma don‘t hold this strong woman back when there‘s a killer to catch. Good twist near the end. Liked the audiobook narrator. Looking forward to next book in this series. #mystery #serialkiller #5stars

Audiobook narrated with emotion by Prince Harry himself was enjoyable. The passages about his many travels and nonprofit work in Africa were the strongest. Some passages meant to explain small controversies flamed by the tabloids (a teen, gasp, smoking weed!) seem less connected to the overall narrative. Loved the moving passages about losing his wonderful mother so young.

Advice needed: Is leaving honest reviews (2-5 stars) of novels written by other writers who are non competitors “unsupportive?”
I consider myself a reader first. Reviewing for other readers. Some think it‘s not appropriate to leave reviews of fewer than 5 stars for ANY book if one is a professional writer. Could use input on this! Thoughts, avid readers?

Smart, satirical, darkly funny look at race & publishing. Plagiarist unreliable narrator is by turns horrible & relatable. Cyberstalking subplot adds tension. Book group discussion possible. Highly recommend! #5stars #novels #aapiauthors

Tracy Clark & other members of Crime Writers of Color offer great reads for Black History Month in the US. Enjoying this audiobook that starts her newest series… #audiobooks #crimewritersofcolor

Stayed up late listening to this propulsive, chilling take of a former child star who is unable to outrun the doomed cult horror movie she starred in as a child. Is the film really cursed, or is a murderer on the loose? Highly recommend. #audiobooks

As a horror writer, I‘m trying to listen to the audiobooks available of the novels on the preliminary ballot for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards. #horror #audiobooks

Such fun! Highly recommend the audiobook from the Libby public library system. Poirot and poison are a clever, entertaining couple.

Can‘t go wrong with the fabulous Poirot! Enjoying my re-read (re-listen) choice for Mass Center for the Book reading challenge. (Jan=reread.)

A young mom confronts her grief over the loss of her parents, family secrets, & creepy AF dolls & puppets. Seriously scary with interesting thoughts on grief & family sprinkled in between battles with the Puppet From Hell! 5 stars. #horror #familysynamics

Did Pipa‘s husband try to save a suicidal jumper, or push her off a cliff? 4.5 stars for this good, twisty thriller featuring a relatively sympathetic look at the affect of mental illness on a family. One character is revealed to be much more than he/she seems. Author tries to paint sympathetic, complex portrait of mentally ill character, with mixed success on that point. Plotting & audiobook narration are very good. #thriller #audiobook

My husband nailed it with the books he gave me for Christmas this year! Especially grateful for “How to sell…” and excited to start reading it tomorrow! #bookishgifts #tbr

Merry Christmas to all the Littens who celebrate! Thanks for all the great book suggestions. #merrychristmas

As suspense, the book was disappointing in the middle. The romantic subplot gets a bit over the top, and I think the narration of the audiobook exacerbated that. The first third and the final third are well-written and suspenseful. Exciting ending. Preferred this author‘s previous book in paperback.

At chapter 19, I am feeling a little tired of the romantic subplot. Get back to the ghosts & the other crimes (no spoilers), Sarah & Matthew! The Broken Girls was one of my favorite reads this year, so my expectations were high…. #historicalfiction #audiobooks

Great reading by talented Di Ciruolo at Copper Dog books last night! If you haven‘t read Di‘s powerful memoir of resilience & healing by a sexual abuse survivor & veteran of the foster care system, get yourself a copy. An important read. #memoir #survivor #fostercare #resilience

Grateful for y‘all Littens, especially leaders who coordinate events like Scarathlon, buddy reads & book swaps. A lovely bookish community. Happy Thanksgiving! #grateful

Huge, funky Jabberywocky Books in Newburyport, MA has a truly awesome used book room! Had fun there and scored a like-new, signed Anna Quindlen novel for half price! Indie bookstore love! #bookhaul #indiebookstores

Am reading. #creepy #uniquelanguage

Am listening. #audiobooks

Any one else trying threads? My writer friend recommended it.,Would love to know your handle if you‘ll be writing about books…

Library book club picked this, and surprisingly, I really liked it. Sad but darkly funny, and a sobering look not just. At the Hollywood machine, but at the affect of narcissism & mental illness on a family. 4 stars. Read by the author, which gives it added power. #memoir #darkhumor

Read fun horror this month! Now following cool Littens from #teamwhoyagonnacall. After a slow start, readathons & my son‘s new obsession with Goosebumps books & shows led to finishing stronger. Loved “Heart-Shaped Box!” Thanks for leading us in all the fun, @FlynnDewey

Happy Halloween, Littens! Photo challenge & book - Halloween. #Scarathlon #photochallenge #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #HappyHalloween

Haven‘t read this in 20 years, & the Netflix show it loosely inspired is great, so I gave it a listen. I love the drama & hyperbole of Poe! Slightly cheesy music at transitions, but narration good. #underthewire #Scarathlon #audiobook #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #31in31 #outstandingOctober #Finalstretchathon

Had to read fast to finish this spooky page-turner of a team read! A fading rock star & his Goth girlfriend become stronger as they fight a vengeful ghost. As a writer, I may reread the first 50 pages, to appreciate the seamless introduction of the ghostly, hypnotizing stepfather. Vivid description & clever metaphors await the reader on the night road. #Scarathlon #teamread #31in31 #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #finalstretchathon #OutstandingOctober

“Jar of Hearts” & jar of treats. Photo challenge & relevant book: Treat. #scarathlon #photochallenge #treat #teamwhoyagonnacall

Bucket list item: Trick-or-treat at town Halloween walk & school pumpkin party in family Halloween costumes. Michaelangelo & April! Leonardo (husband) took the picture. #Halloweenbucketlist #scarathlon #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #halloweencostumes #tmnt

Photo challenge: Nightmare. I love Goosebumps books, but Slappy has been creeping us out. Son‘s friend gave him a dream catcher yesterday. Hopefully it will keep bad dreams away. #nightmare #Scarathlon #Goosebumps #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

Boston beach reading. Really. #Scarathlon #beachread #31by31 #spookoween #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #Finalstretchathon #OutstandingOctober

Photo challenge: legend. Can‘t wait until wee boy is old enough to read this one! #Scarathlon #headlesshorseman #photochallenge #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

Well-crafted creature & body horror short stories by Canadian talent Jae Mazer. Limbs and blood fly in vivid (and sometimes darkly comic) ways. I really enjoyed “He Likes Vanilla Cake The Best” and “Blubber Murray” (think “Thinner” meets Bloody Mary). “Aisle Four” is quite disturbing (moms who are not hardcore horror fans might want to skip it). #horror #Scarathlon #horrorbywomen #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #31in31 #spookoween #OutstandingOctober

Jack Black movie way more age-appropriate for my kiddo. Watched it for the second time this week… #Scarathlon #scarymovie #moviebasedonbooks #TeamWhoYaGonnaCa

Enjoyed rereading this classic. Vividly creepy today & innovative and scandalous for its time. Epistolary form works for me. Finished for local library book group during FangtasticReadathon. Then discussed with book group-bucket list item. #Scarathlon #vampirebooks #31by31 #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #FangtasticReadathon #Halloweenbucketlist

Halloween bucket least item: carving Jack-o-lanterns with the family! 🎃🎃 #fun #Scarathlon #HalloweenBucketList #10points #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

Reading truly frightening hard horror tales on a beautiful fall day. Bucket list item: horror by women. Canadian talent Jae Mazer never disappoints. #Scarathlon #bucketlist #horror #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #31by31 #FangtasticReadathon #spookoween

Photo challenge: Spider. For a decade I was editor-in-chief of indie publisher Spider Road Press. A fellow dark fiction writer created this portrait of me. #Scarathlon #photoprompt #spider #TeamWhoYaGonnaHall

Just when you thought it was safe… wee boys drags out this battered paperback! Strained rhyme schemes, anyone? Cute illustrations and lots of Scarathalon word search words, though! #Halloweenbooks #Scarathlon #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #31in31

Photo prompt: Fear. Book signed by R. L. Stine last year and my favorite socks. (Pardon their French.) #Scarathlon #photoprompt #TeamWhoGonnaCall

Part eerie tale of ghost Mary Hand, part story of 4 “throwaway girls” surviving a Gothic boarding school, & part compelling modern crime drama, this novel is a wonderfully spooky page-turner. As a writer, I am impressed St. James pulls the threads together so we‘ll at the end. Even has enclosed book group questions. Highly recommend! (Finished during Scarathalon sprint.) #Scarathlon #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #Scarathlonsprint #31by31 #Spookoween

Outstanding October Read-a-thon-28 hours. (Kid‘s books not pictured.) Considering the kind of month I have had, not so bad. #readathon #Scarathlon #spookybooks #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

Ghostly words team game-158 words! Fun way to earn points. #Scarathlon #game #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

Con artist finds herself in a haunted home. Or does she? A vivid & darkly funny novella. The opening is a little over-the-top, and the R-rated first paragraph probably shouldn‘t be listened to without headphones, but the story is interesting, possibly ghostly, and then twists. #ghoststories #crime #novella #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #audiobook