Kristie
Design-wise, this book gets a 5. It looks like an old VHS tape, and my favorite touch is that interspersed in the stories are old TV Guide listing pages that feature the story as a “feature film”. It's worth the price of admission right there. The idea behind the book (a horror movie marathon) is genius. I hope this will be a series, but I hope it features a more diverse pool of authors. I love C.V. Hunt. I read [b:Halloween Fiend 43550319 Halloween Fiend C.V. Hunt https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547344532l/43550319.SY75.jpg 67747710] last year and it ended up being one of my favorite books. It's too bad C.V. doesn't have a story in this collection. Sadly, it falls prey to my usual experience with story collections. Some of them are great, some of them are meh. I'm not going to get into which ones I liked and which ones I didn't. I'm still glad I read it.
I loved this soo very much. Me-the prude. But this made me swing back and forth emotion-wise like I was hanging upside down on a trapeze. I want a kôhkom! I want to reach into this book, grab Jonny and hug him so hard. My only regret is that I couldn't get my hands on a print version, so I missed seeing some of the names/languages written out.
This was alternately beautiful, surprising, laugh-out-loud funny and trauma producing. I friggin loved it with my whole self.
This is only my second Darcy Coates but I think I really love her stuff. One, they are super easy to read, and she keeps the action going. No dull moments here. Second, the book always goes somewhere I could never have predicted. Honestly, when I go to buy a book to take with me on vacation, she just went to the top of the list. I'm pretty sure I said this in my review of [b:The Folcroft Ghosts 33840674 The Folcroft Ghosts Darcy Coates https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484182050l/33840674.SY75.jpg 54774741] but I think Coates's short fiction is ON POINT. She wrote one called Sub Basement I think about, at work, almost every day. Here we have:Bed and BreakfastCrawlspace Lights Out and every SINGLE one of them is a winner. One even does Doctor Who proud. If I haaaaaad to pick a fave it would be Bed and Breakfast. Shudder!
I hate to “meh” the King of Horror, but there was a lot about Later that was just....mediocre. I think the problem is that I'm not a crime fiction fan (I'm usually out if there are cops or lawyers).
I know this series is supposed to feel like those novels they sell cheaply at the grocery store, and it DOES! But I wanted some thing...else? In fact, I guess I made this up from looking at the cover that Jamie and his mom were on some sort of ghost hunting road trip? So wrong. That's Liz on the cover.
So, it was short and not terrible but most certainly wont rock any worlds.
Two truths: I don't give 5 stars out willy-nilly and Shirley Jackson was a goddess.
How I missed The Bird's Nest, I don't know. Maybe because it is not one of her “horror” novels?
I managed to borrow a copy from the library, printed in 1954 and complete with dusty smells and pages so thick it feels like you are turning parchment.
Elizabeth has multiple personalities. Jackson does an amazing job making those personalities so different from one another a reader can tell who is who clearly. I appreciate that. We have a unusual spirit in an aunt, who raised Elizabeth after the death of her mother. Morgan is no fool, but possibly self-deluded and a bit of a drunk?
Then, Dr. Wright, who could very easily been the villain here is not. Besides being pompous, he's harmless.
Things get out of hand, quickly.
This is not a thriller. This is a psychological study of a woman being torn into 4 parts.
What remained my driving factor in reading this was to get at the heart of what was causing this. Most certainly is had something to do with the mother. I picked up hints of possible sexual abuse from the mother's boyfriend, Robin (Betsy's pure fear of him is some kind of proof of something). It is never directly addressed.
Jackson's eye is unparalleled. She also expects a lot from her readers, throwing in art and literature as if she is positive you already know (and remember) your Thackery. Sure! Why wouldn't we? LOL!
This:
“Elizabeth Richmond was twenty-three years old. She had no friends, no parents, no associates, and no plans beyond that of enduring the necessary interval before her departure with as little pain as possible.”
During a fight, Morgan has one of the best monologues I have ever read (I went back and read it twice) in which she (page 237 in the edition I had) puts Elizabeth in her place, tells us how she really feels about her dead sister, insisting that she would use the inheritance to buy swampland only to have it dug up and dumped on Elizabeth's mother's grave. And then she would dig a small enough hole to throw Elizabeth in the same grave, have a “marble bench” constructed, and “come and sit and snicker over the two of you dead”. Shakespeare must be applauding that insult from the grave.
So, in short, I loved it. I also loved The Sundial but have not (for some reason) been able to get all the way through Hangsaman.
While I have some raised eyebrows because this is not an #ourownvoices story, I think this is one of the best damned pioneer stories I have read in a long time. It is what I expected to read when I tackled My Antonia last year.
Being a pioneer is hard, it is even harder when you are the only Black settlers for miles. We meet Rachel in the middle of a drought and her past comes to us from flashbacks. The amount of grit and perseverance Rachel shows is outstanding, she is my hero. However, when she says enough is enough- you are right there with her. One thing that sets this apart from other tales about strong women, in my humble opinion, is that Weisgarber also shows us Rachel at her weakest moments, we see the crack in the façade, and then watch her pull herself together again.
In the end, this is really about a mother's love for her children.
I don't know how to review this. Real, published, reviewer have already done a pretty great job with that so I will get personal and say:
This was amazing. It broke me out of my reading slump, made me grateful that I go out of my way to avoid most social media and I LAUGHED OUT LOUD-OFTEN.
At the same time, it is split into parts and reads like two very different books. I already loved part one, which was like jumping on a Twitter exchange with the smartest, funniest people in the world discussing something you had no idea happened (my actual experience with Twitter) but then skewing that over hot flames. But Part Two is the one of the best damned stories I ever read about a family that comes together in a time of need. Virtual life v reality. Both are beautiful and suck.
I loved this. I have no doubt it will win all sorts of awards (and be deserving of them).
Horror fans, be warned. This is billed as Blair Witch meets Midsommar, which is a big get. I went in with lower expectations and was still disappointed.
There is a ton of not-much-happening going on here. There is also a ton of pointless dialog. Sooooo many conversations about the same thing. There are great, long descriptions of period furniture but all of the major points are just glossed over:
-there is a handicapped woman in town almost no one has any empathy for (why?)
-there is a religious cult that is only observed by outsiders, so we don't really understand it (how did he rally an entire town into believing?)
-there are modern characters with ONE defining moment in their lives that they can't seem to get over and it just has nothing to do with the plot and I grew bored of it quickly
At one point an explosion happens, but we enter the story after the fact and I just saw it as finally! something is happening, but it's really not explored.
Because Alice is so self-centered, we don't really get a taste of the atmosphere and all of the other characters are so one-dimensional (in the dimension of what can they do/have they done to Alice) that they cannot break from that and as a result the reader cannot connect with them. I didn't find this creepy or chilling, except for the idea of an abandoned town. The jacket copy is actually more thrilling than the entire story.
For some reason I was just NOT in the mood for short fiction right now, but this was fantastic. There is not a bad story in here. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite! Closet Dreams and The Replacements scared the crap out of me. I can't stop thinking about Mr. Elphinstone's Hands, even though it made me sick.
I really appreciated the little intros by Tuttle. I think it deepened my appreciation for each story. I chose not to rush through this but to read a story and then reflect on it. Some of them I want to reread again immediately.
This is a collection worth owning as I think different readings at different time of life might change the meaning of the stories as well. I loved her brave female protagonists and that they often skewed older in age. Totally refreshing to read that.
For a teeny, tiny book this was an impactful read! I always think it ups the wow(!) factor to have an audio book narrated by the author, especially when it comes to novels written in verse-this way you KNOW you are hearing the story the way the author meant for it to be read.
This was a story of a toxic friendship. Maybe I didn't have enough backstory but it seemed clear to me that Lay Li was NOT a good friend early in the relationship and she was not a good friend at the end. I suspect that Skye is so numbed by the meanness of her sister that she sees being treated indifferently as par for the course (except on the court, of course).
How wonderful was it to see a character who does not have it easy at school, at home, or with friends still have an outlet to build her confidence and find herself (basketball)? It was lovely. Clearly, Skye is a writer and an artist too but maybe that will come up in the sequel?
It takes meeting a real friend to show Skye what one looks like. The laughing scene made my whole week and I loved it. When two souls connect like that...it's just beautiful.
There is not one positive male in this book. Every boy is either potentially not a threat or is a threat.
Interesting (in a thought-provoking way)!
This was fine. I didn't love it. I thought there was a great deal of over-explaining and “cutesy” names for the tests. Even the author knew it was getting confusing at one point and spent several pages having to reexplain his “tests” and the names he assigned them. I imagine scholars of Stoicism would be quite bored with this and those new to the ideas would probably benefit more from reading the source material. Or [b:Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance 27213329 Grit The Power of Passion and Perseverance Angela Duckworth https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457889762l/27213329.SY75.jpg 45670634]
I've been meaning to read a biography about Jack London. And then I remembered that it's probably been over twenty years since I read anything by him. I remember reading the universally required “To Build a Fire” in high school, and then, on my own, reading The Call of the Wild and White Fang.
So I grabbed this collection of short stories in order to get started and they are fabulous.
Trigger warnings about animal cruelty and what extreme elements can do to the human body.
I didn't find him to be racist, in fact many of his non-white characters are fully developed and are more often the hero of the story vs the “white man”, but these were written around 1900, so keep that in mind while reading.
Also, I found one story to be pretty dismissive about women. Then, the next TWO featured extremely strong female characters that were just awesome. I read somewhere this might be because London's second wife was quite awesome. There is a balance here I don't normally run into with classics.
Now onto more his “socialist” writings.
Had I known what Telephone was about I never would have saved it for last. I read the entire TOB shortlist for 2021 and threw Telephone at the bottom because I had to buy it (so I didn't have to worry about a due date) and it was the shortest book. Easy-peasy, right?
except, except, except....this book is about a dying kid. It's also about academics (tops in my “no thanks!” list). It's also got a pretentious vibe because there are multiple versions? I have no idea which one I have. I don't care.
It took me three weeks to read this 224 page book because I did NOT want to watch Sarah die. Why were all of the women throwing themselves at Zach? His daughter is dying. Is this what is going to happen? I have to watch this idiot sleep with a coworker or a student because he is grieving. What bullshit!
I took the sentences of this book down like nasty medicine. It was, if it was lucky, going to be a two star read. I was already plotting what I would read to wipe this from my mind.
And then, we get to New Mexico and it becomes an entirely different book. Then, I couldn't put it down. I actually laughed, and grew to love Zach's invented ploy of hunting for oil in order to stage a giant rescue. I loved the poets.
The ending just...ends. Boo! But I went ahead of taking the liberty of giving everyone on the bus a happy ending.
So there we go, Telephone done. I bet I'll be thinking about parts of this book for a loooong time.
My Middle-Grade March continues. I'm about to throw down an unpopular review but this book did very little for me. It's my fault, I think I was expecting a Lost in Space/ The Martian type dealio in which we would learn some science about life on Mars. Instead, I got a coming of age story about getting along with your neighbors- which is fine, just unexpected. One of my favorite books, when I was a kid, was [b:This Place Has No Atmosphere 1788950 This Place Has No Atmosphere Paula Danziger https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583495350l/1788950.SY75.jpg 1787885]. I know how luring the idea of living in a colony can be. I got a little frustrated with how long this took to get going, the virus attack doesn't even happen until more than halfway through the story. The girl characters were a little over the top with their obsession with fashion and makeup. In fact, none of the characters are deeply developed. I could barely tell the adults apart. I loved the idea of sending orphans to Mars, until I really thought about it and it makes the kids seem like science experiments. I don't understand why they would not send more cats. I think stuff was going on back on Earth and none of it is really explained, it may have to do with the fact that our narrator is so young. It was also driving me crazy that the title wasn't explained until almost the very end. In the end, it's not the worst story, but it's not great either.
More Middle-Grade March Madness.
My inner 10-year-old would give this 5 stars, the adult in me gives it a “meh” but I am not the intended audience, so young Me wins.
I can't tell you how many times I chose a book as a child with a creepy cover and an ominous copy on the back cover only to be disappointed. I'm looking at YOU, Nancy Drew. So often, there was never a ghost, there was always some mystery solved by pulling a rubber mask off the face of some very human villain, a la Scooby Doo, and it was all so very disappointing.
Well, Duga delivers. There is a pretty terrifying ghost skipping around this gothic, isolated mansion. It causes shadows to bleed from the ceiling, bookcases to topple, and fires to start themselves. We have some useless adults and one very brave mutt. This is the kind of story I wanted to read as a kid.
I would call it “starter horror” if this gives a kid nightmares, well then we are not ready for horror.
I'm in the middle of a bit of a Middle Grade Madness trying to catch up on some JF I wanted to read and never got around to.
This one is awesome, but be forewarned that it will be a series so it doesn't wrap up. Sadly, my wait to read the Brackebeast has just begun.
Eleanor Barton
Otto Ellis
Pip Foster
All are residents of Eden El, a charmingly creepy town and all are about to turn 13, on Halloween.
I thought this was incredible and cannot wait to read more of the story. I just hope I remember it by the time it comes out.
I listened to this on audio and I think I have to find a physical copy and read it because Spark's writing is just so very clever (she really is a wizard with words) and I'm not sure the brilliance of this tale translated as well just listening to it. It's still a stunner, the ending is still a shocker. I did not love it as much as I loved [b:The Driver's Seat 668282 The Driver's Seat Muriel Spark https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348828782l/668282.SY75.jpg 2776383] but that could be because it was the first book of Spark's I read or it could be because I actually read it (as opposed to listening to it).
To each his own, but the fact that this was only 4 hours long is the only reason I didn't DNF it. I am a fan of Malerman, usually, but this one did almost nothing for me.
At some point I remember thinking, this is one giant, long sex scene.
Really this is a story about a relationship, a first “real love” relationship and I think I wanted a horror story about a house at the bottom of a hidden lake. Sigh.
Two things that drove me nuts:
This a small town, yes? How do these kids not know each other from school already?
Why does no one go to the library or even (yack!) google info about the damned house?
Willing suspension of disbelief and all of that.
I had many, many people recommend this book to me and they were right: I loved it. I actually got that feeling, that amazing feeling that I had when I read the first Harry Potter and the first Series of Unfortunate Events book. I was in awe and charmed and really loved so many things about this story. It was almost perfect. In fact, I would give this 4 and 3/4 stars.
As I read, the story tends to play out on a movie screen in my head and the visuals in this book are really stunning. I can't help but imagine the beginning being something similar to the setting of the beginning of Joe vs the Volcano.
So, why not 5 stars? Well, 5 stars is perfection and almost no books score 5 stars from me, and my only negative about this story was that it was a pinch too long and did tend to repeat itself. The message is so important (get out of your bubble and meet people unlike yourself) that I guess it's worth repeating.
One thing Klune did that was super amazing, and I just want to make note of it, is he put characters into really difficult positions (in which they had to defend themselves against prejudice) and he SHOWS how to handle the situation with class. I think it's always lovely to see real examples of difficult situations and how they can play out positively (I mean, besides the fact that the unpleasantness happened in the first place) without characters immediately resorting to violence or revenge. Well done!
This is a great little collection. There really isn't a”bad” story, I mean, honestly, they are too short to become bad. What this is great for is finding new authors. In the same way you order a flight and try craft beers, here you get a bite-sized story to see if you gel with an author's writing style.
For my own benefit, I just want to list some of my stand-out faves:
Jane Death Theory #13 by Scott should be required reading for everyone
Lone by Jac Jemc scared the shit out of me and is still scaring me a week after reading it
The Unhaunting by Nguyen is genius
Pincer and Tongue by Jones- the man is a marvel
Caravan by Iniguez was so, so good
I wrote down some of the authors that impressed me. Some of them, I had forgotten about (like I 5 star raved about one of Ben Loory's collections awhile back) and some of them have novels coming out soon.
I loved this, I think because it was so very different from the other books I read. I always say that really great fiction introduces you to a world that is new to you and lets you walk around in someone else's shoes. Well, mission accomplished here. I found myself thinking a lot about this book when I was away from it and actually laughed out loud a couple of times.
It loses a star for the ending, which I found to be abrupt and heartless to do to readers who were cheering this little family on. Otherwise, it was a great read.
Honestly, I didn't know anything about Darcy Coates (except she seems to have an entire shelf to herself in the Horror section at Barnes and Noble) until I started reading this book. I had no idea she was a self-published wonder. Here we have a short, wicked little story (about 190 pages) and three really cool bonus short stories. I loved Crypt.
As for the main book, we have a teen girl and her brother being shuffled off to grandparents they have never met after mom gets into a car accident. While it is not exactly the same, if you loved the movie The Visit, you will love this.
The house is creepy, the grounds are creepy and the town is unfriendly and creepy.
I pretty much loved it.
I have Gillespie House laying around on the Kindle and will definitely be reading more Coates.